Asher: Baby Name of the DayAsher feels like its headed for the US Top 20, a Biblical boy name that everybody loves.

Thanks to Photoquilty for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

ALL THOSE ASH NAMES

Former Top 100 pick Ashton and #1 girl favorite Ashley share a syllable and an origin. They’re Old English place names-turned-surnames.

But Asher goes back to the Old Testament.

He’s one of Jacob’s dozen sons, and founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  The name has a long history of use among Jewish families.

It comes from the Hebrew word osier – happiness.

His tribe settled on fertile, prosperous land, suggesting that his name shaped his destiny.

Some suggest the name comes from Assyrian legend, or possibly an ancient Semitic goddess. But the Old Testament reference clearly inspired parents.

AMERICAN HISTORY

It wasn’t used widely outside of Jewish families until the Protestant Reformation, when parents went flipping through the Bible for fresh inspiration.

Notable men have worn the name in the US since early days.

Asher Levy settled in New Amsterdam, by way of Brazil, with two dozen other Jewish settlers in 1654.

A nineteenth century architect; a member of the Hudson River School of painters; and a Rhode Island senator also make the list.

But it’s far from James or even George, a name that’s in use – but far from familiar.

ASHER LEV

There’s an uptick in the number of boys receiving the name beginning in the 1970s.

One reason? Chaim Potok’s 1972 novel My Name is Asher Lev, about the struggles of an artistic boy born into a Hassidic Jewish family in 1940s Brooklyn. Potok himself is said to have identified strongly with the character, and the author was a well-established figure by then.

It’s the middle name of actor Judd Nelson, as well as playwright Arthur Miller. (Though both were born well before Potok’s novel.)

ASHLEY’S BROTHER

We often see shared-sound names rise. Emmett follows Emma; Ella and Elliot belong in the same preschool class, two tables over from Olivia and Oliver.

And so when Ashley cracked the girls’ Top 100 in 1978, it probably encouraged parents to consider Ash- names for boys. By 1991, over 100 boys were named Asher in the US for the first time ever.

THE GIVER

That’s still relatively rare, though.

It took another novel to put this name on the path to the Top 100: Lois Lowry’s The Giver.

Published in 1993, it tells of a dystopian world, where memory and individuality are nearly erased.

The main character is called Jonas, but his closest friends are Fiona and Asher.

It’s been widely read ever since. And since it’s a young adult novel, no surprise that some of those readers grew up to consider the name for their sons.

Adaptations have ranged from a stage play to an opera to a 2014 movie. Cameron Monaghan played Asher on the big screen.

BY THE NUMBERS

A great meaning and a few pop culture references can propel many names out of obscurity. But the combination of the familiar first syllable Ash with an R ending came at exactly the right moment. From Connor to Carter, Hunter to Xavier, it’s a sound that feels just slightly different after decades of Aiden and Ethan and Dylan.

Plus, we’re still wild for Biblical boy names. Just ask the parents of Ezra and Isaiah, Isaac and Elijah.

So no surprise this name continues to rise. It entered the US Top 100 in 2014, and reached a new peak of #47 in 2018. For now, it shows no signs of showing down.

Do you think Asher will reach the US Top Ten?  

Originally published on August 27, 2009.  It was substantially revised and re-posted on September 1, 2014 and again on February 26, 2020.

Asher: Baby Name of the Day

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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37 Comments

  1. I named my newborn son Asher but now I am having the *hardest* time coming up with a cute nickname that is not “Ash”. We are not too fond of Ash. We are open to suggestions for possible nickname alternatives! Any help would be much appreciated!!

  2. Hi Abby. Is it possible to restore the comments on this post? It says there are 19 but none are appearing. Thanks!

    1. Never mind. As soon as I posted, all of the comments appeared. Thanks! I’ve been thinking about Asher but not too sure with the growing popularity.

  3. This was one of the most popular names on my blog last year – it got an approval rating of 83%. The movie will probably give it more of a boost.

    Just to confirm, yes this name is given to almost as many girls as boys in Australia. Will be interesting to see if the ratio changes over time …

  4. I love this name as well. I’m glad to see so much positive feedback about it. I’m expecting a boy at the end of August and plan to name him Asher; I’ve only told a few random people (not family or friends) and have gotten nothing but praise for the name. “It’s so modern”, “It sounds so European” and “So cool! Very unique”. I’ve never really heard of the name all that much before I started hunting for the right baby name. I don’t really connect it to the Biblical reference personally but I do like the historical nature of the name and Hebrew meaning. Name meaning was important – almost as important as the name itself – so I’m glad to have found something cool and modern (and European, apparently!) that also has a very positive meaning.