Explore the Family Name Ashmore

The meaning of Ashmore

English (North and West Midlands): habitational name from any of several minor places, generally named from Old English æsc ‘ash’ + mōr ‘moor, high tract of barren ground, marsh’. In the case of Ashmore in Dorset, however, the early forms show that the second element is Old English mere ‘lake’. This surname is also common in Ireland.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ashmore in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ashmore has seen a slight decline in recent years. In 2000, Ashmore was ranked as the 5343rd most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped down to the 5642nd spot, representing a 5.6% decrease. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the Ashmore surname increased by 2.51%, going from 6004 in 2000 to 6155 in 2010. The proportion per 100k people holding this surname decreased by 6.28%, shifting from 2.23 in 2000 to 2.09 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#5,343#5,642-5.6%
Count6,0046,1552.51%
Proportion per 100k2.232.09-6.28%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ashmore

The ethnic identity associated with the Ashmore surname also evolved over this decade, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of people with this surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander experienced the largest increase, surging by 44.44% to 0.65 in 2010 from 0.45 in 2000. Those claiming two or more races and Hispanics saw their percentages rise by 35.04% and 31.11% respectively. On the other hand, the percentage of Ashmores identifying as White slightly decreased by 2.16%, dropping to 85.91 in 2010 from 87.81 in 2000. There was a small increase in those identifying as Black, going up by 8.79%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw barely any change, with a slight decrease of -0.93%.

20002010Change
White87.81%85.91%-2.16%
Black7.51%8.17%8.79%
Hispanic1.8%2.36%31.11%
Two or More Races1.37%1.85%35.04%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.07%1.06%-0.93%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.45%0.65%44.44%

Ashmore ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ashmore is British & Irish, which comprises 61.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish61.2%
French & German20.4%
Scandinavian3.9%
Other14.6%
Ashmore

Possible origins of the surname Ashmore

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ashmore have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom92.50%
Greater London, United Kingdom92.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom92.50%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom92.50%
West Midlands, United Kingdom91.90%

What Ashmore haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ashmore is R-Z159, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z159 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wilber, Cloud, Westfall, Morehouse, Spurgeon, Logue, Cotter, Crenshaw, Bales, Totten.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ashmore surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

ashmorePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Ashmore have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Ashmore

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Ashmore" Surname 55.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Ashmore

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Ashmore" Surname 22.6%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Ashmore

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Ashmore" Surname 21.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Ashmore

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Ashmore" Surname 18.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Ashmore?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ashmore are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%