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Irish surname

Ashe: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ághas; Ais (Irish-spelling headings Woulfe gives for the English name) · Middle English 'atte Ashe', i.e. 'at the ash', from residence beside an ash-tree

Woulfe (1923) treats Ashe as an English surname of Middle English origin, 'at the ash', taken from living beside an ash-tree; he says families of the name settled in Meath and Kildare soon after the invasion, and that the Ághas form is common in Kerry and parts of Limerick. In 1890, 22 birth entries including spelling varieties (18 spelled Ashe) were registered in Ireland, principally in Kerry and Antrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the Ashe surname
Irish formÁghas; Ais (Irish-spelling headings Woulfe gives for the English name)
MeaningMiddle English 'atte Ashe', i.e. 'at the ash', from residence beside an ash-tree
CountiesKerry, Meath, Antrim
Other spellings4
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Ashe crest gifts

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Origin of the Ashe name

Woulfe: Middle English 'atte Ashe', 'at the ash', from residence beside an ash-tree. Under Ais: 'Families of this name settled soon after the invasion in Meath and Kildare.' Under Ághas: 'common in Kerry and parts of Limerick.'[1][2]

  1. 1641Woulfe: Thomas, Henry and Walter Aysh of Naas indicted of treason and outlawed.[2]
  2. 1658St. George Ashe born in the County of Roscommon (Webb).[6]
  3. 1692St. George Ashe, returning to Ireland, is made Provost of Trinity College.[6]
  4. 1718St. George Ashe dies in Dublin on 27 February (Webb).[6]
  5. 189022 Ashe birth entries including spelling varieties (18 spelled Ashe).[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. KerryWoulfe: the Ághas form 'is common in Kerry and parts of Limerick'; Matheson 1890: Kerry and Antrim.[1][4]
Co. MeathWoulfe: families of the name (Ais) settled soon after the invasion in Meath and Kildare.[2]
Co. AntrimMatheson 1890 names Kerry and Antrim as where Ashe was principally found.[4]

Notable people named Ashe

St. George Ashe1658–1718Webb: D.D., Fellow and Professor of Mathematics at Trinity College, Provost 1692; Bishop of Cloyne, Clogher, then Derry.[6]
Andrew Ashec. 1758–1838Webb: 'a celebrated flautist', born in Lisburn; later director of the Bath concerts.[5]

Other spellings

Asshe · Aase · Aysh · Ayshe[1][2]

The Ashe coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Ashe surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Ashe surname: questions

What does the surname Ashe mean?

Woulfe gives it as Middle English 'atte Ashe', meaning 'at the ash', from residence beside an ash-tree.[1][2]

Is Ashe an Irish or an English name?

Woulfe gives its origin as Middle English, not Gaelic. He says families of the name (spelled Aysh, Ayshe, Asshe or Ashe) settled in Meath and Kildare soon after the invasion, and he lists the Irish-spelling headings Ághas and Ais for the English name.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Ashe name found?

Woulfe says the Ághas form is common in Kerry and parts of Limerick. Matheson's 1890 birth index names Kerry and Antrim as where Ashe was principally found.[1][4]

Is Ashe the same name as Nash?

Woulfe writes that, 'etymologically', Nash is 'precisely the same as Ashe': the n of the Middle English 'atten Ash' moved to the start of the surname. He lists Nash separately under de Nais.[3]

Sources

  1. Aghas — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/a/aghas.php
  2. Ais — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/a/ais.php
  3. de Nais — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-nais.php
  4. Ashe — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ashe.php
  5. Andrew Ashe — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/AndrewAshe.php
  6. St. George Ashe — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/StGeorgeAshe.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).