UK boy's name
Ashford
From an English place name meaning "ford by the ash trees".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1997. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ashford is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ashford popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1997 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2337, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1996 to 1997. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Ashford is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Ashford. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 1998 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ashford ranked #2337 for boys in England and Wales in 1997, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 4 boys were registered as Ashford.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ashford as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2337
1997
Births in 1997
4
Latest year
Peak year
1997
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Ashford mean?
The name Ashford is an English place name that has been adopted as a given name. It is derived from the Old English words æsc and ford, meaning "ash tree ford" or "ford by the ash trees." This name likely originated in the medieval period, as many English place names became surnames and, later, given names during this time.
The earliest recorded use of Ashford as a given name dates back to the 16th century, when it was occasionally bestowed upon male children born in or near the town of Ashford in Kent, England. However, it did not gain widespread popularity until the 19th and 20th centuries.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Ashford was Ashford Edmund Lechmere (1573-1634), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire. Another early bearer of the name was Ashford Wyndham (1640-1693), an English military officer who fought in the Nine Years' War.
In the 18th century, Ashford Mensell (1710-1778) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of South Carolina. During the same period, Ashford Courtenay (1742-1809) was an English playwright and author who wrote several works for the London stage.
In the 19th century, Ashford Millar (1829-1902) was a prominent Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Toronto from 1879 to 1881. Another notable bearer of the name from this era was Ashford Cyrus Peabody (1857-1924), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts.
In the 20th century, Ashford Malcolm Graham (1920-2005) was a British actor and writer who appeared in numerous television shows and films, including the popular sitcom "Are You Being Served?" Ashford Barnett (1946-2009) was an American singer and songwriter who co-wrote several hits for Diana Ross, including "Endless Love" and "Eaten Alive."
While the name Ashford has been used primarily in English-speaking countries, it has also been adopted in other cultures and languages, often with variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ashford over time
The chart below shows babies named Ashford registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 1997. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ashford, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 1997, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ashford by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ashford was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #2600 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Ashford
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Ashford: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ashford in the UK right now?
In 1997, Ashford was ranked #2337 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Ashford most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 4 babies registered as Ashford in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ashford?
From an English place name meaning "ford by the ash trees".
How many people are called Ashford in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Ashford across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.