boy's name
Asher
ASH-er
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 124,628
the United States
#28
2025 births
Asher is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "happy" or "blessed." In Genesis he is the eighth son of Jacob, and the text ties the name to his mother Leah's declaration of happiness at his birth.
- Asher is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 8,527 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 441 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Asher over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 31 |
| 1890s | 11 |
| 1910s | 108 |
| 1920s | 152 |
| 1930s | 114 |
| 1940s | 103 |
| 1950s | 100 |
| 1960s | 121 |
| 1970s | 323 |
| 1980s | 821 |
| 1990s | 1,793 |
| 2000s | 11,320 |
| 2010s | 49,174 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 48,519 |
What Asher means
Asher means happy, fortunate, or blessed, from the Hebrew osher, meaning happiness. It shares a root with the word ashrei, the term that opens several psalms and is usually translated as "blessed is" or "happy is."
Where Asher comes from
Asher comes from the Hebrew Asher, from a root meaning happy or fortunate. Genesis 30:13 supplies the reasoning directly: Leah names him after declaring her own happiness at his birth. The tribe descended from him settled in the fertile coastal region of the northern kingdom, and Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49 associates Asher with rich food and abundance. The same root produces ashrei, the word that opens Psalm 1 and several others, conventionally rendered as "blessed is the one who…". Asher entered English use after the Reformation with other Old Testament names and has grown considerably in recent decades.
How popular is Asher?
In 2025, Asher was given to 7,519 babies in the United States, ranking #28 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Asher is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Asher
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Asher also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Asher over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Asher
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Asher in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Asher
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Asher — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Asher
What does the name Asher mean?
Asher means "happy" or "blessed," from the Hebrew osher.
Is Asher a biblical name?
Yes. Asher is the eighth son of Jacob in the Book of Genesis.
Does the Bible explain Asher's name?
Genesis 30:13 links it to Leah's declaration of happiness at his birth.
How popular is the name Asher?
In 2025, Asher was given to 7,519 babies in the United States, ranking #28 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Asher a girl's or a boy's name?
Asher is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Asher?
Asher has 2 syllables.
When was Asher most popular?
Asher peaked in 2022, when 8,527 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Asher?
Asher is usually shortened to Ash.
Is Asher a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Asher currently ranks #28 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.