In the Domesday Book of 1086, Ashtead is recorded as Stede, which simply means "place". In later documents, the village appears as Estede, Akestede and Aschestede (13th century), Asshstede (1370s), Ashstede (14th century), Asshested (15th century) and Ashsted (1820). The name is generally agreed to mean "place of ash trees".
