Ashur is an ancient Assyrian name that has been used for centuries. It is derived from the word "ashura," which means "first, best" in Akkadian, one of the earliest recorded languages. The name Ashur itself holds significant historical and cultural importance as it was the original capital city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This empire, at its height around 900-600 BCE, stretched from Cyprus to Egypt, making it one of the most powerful empires in ancient Mesopotamia. Therefore, the name Ashur carries with it a rich heritage and a sense of pride in Assyrian history.
The name Ashur experienced a significant rise in popularity from the late 1980s to the early 2020s, with a notable spike in births starting around the year 2000. The highest number of births recorded in any single year was in 2020, with 44 babies named Ashur.