How Many People Are Named Ascension?
An estimated 45 people in the United States have the first name Ascension. It is used for both genders, with 63.9% male. The average bearer is 70 years old, and Ascension peaked in popularity in 1924 with 18 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ascension as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ascension paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 70, Ascension is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1966.
- Ascension is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
45
About 1 in 7,616,763 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
63.9% confidence
Average Age
70
years old
Peak Year
1924
18 births
Total Registered
144
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ascension
Ascension is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (63.9%) and females (36.1%). Out of 144 total births registered, 92 were male and 52 were female.
Ascension as a male name
Ranked #8,306 in 1991
5 male births in 1991
Peak: 1924 (9 births)
Ascension as a female name
Ranked #4,737 in 1943
5 female births in 1943
Peak: 1930 (11 births)
Ascension in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 580 people with the first name Ascension, which placed it at #18,554 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ascension was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 580 people with this name in that snapshot, 67.4% were male and 32.6% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 63.9% of the time.
Census Count
580
people with this name
Census Rank
#18,554
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.19
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ascension was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (90.55%). The next largest recorded groups were White (3.44%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (2.58%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ascension in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ascension.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 90.55% | 527 |
| White | 3.44% | 20 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.58% | 15 |
| Black | 2.06% | 12 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.20% | 7 |
| Two or More Races | 0.17% | 1 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ascension: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ascension span from the 1910s to the 1990s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 40 babies were registered. Ascension has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Ascension by Decade
How has Ascension tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ascension by State
Ascension + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ascension as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ascension
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Ascension: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ascension?
We estimate approximately 45 people named Ascension are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 7,616,763 Americans share this first name.
Is Ascension a common name?
Ascension is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 52.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 144 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ascension most popular?
Ascension reached peak popularity in 1924, when 18 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ascension is approximately 70 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ascension in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 580 people with the first name Ascension. That placed it at #18,554 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.19 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ascension was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ascension?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ascension was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 67.4% male and 32.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ascension?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ascension was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (90.55%). The next largest recorded groups were White (3.44%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (2.58%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ascension a male name?
Ascension is predominantly male. 63.9% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ascension have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ascension peaked in 1924, and the average living bearer is about 70 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ascension Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ascension Smith, Ascension Johnson, Ascension Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me