An English surname, Asbury comes from the Old English terms ‘east’ and ‘burh’ which refer to the fortified town to the east. Variations in spelling for Asbury include Ashbourn, Ashburnam, Ashburnham, Astbury, Ashburham and Ashburner. In Derbyshire, Cheshire, Sussex, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Devon England is where many with the Asbury surname have lived. Within the United States early families of Asbury settled in Pennsylvania. From there they were also in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, North and South Carolina and California. Famous: Edith Evans Asbury (a 20th century acclaimed journalist), William W. Asbury (professional football player), Tom Asbury (professional collage basketball coach), Kelly Asbury (a movie film actor, director and writer) and Herbert Asbury (a writer and journalist).