2000
#8,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,719
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Eady
Derived from the Old English word "eadig," meaning "rich, blessed, or prosperous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,173 Americans carry the last name Eady. That puts it at #8,654 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,136 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eady surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Eady with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,136
Census rank
#8,654
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,639 bearers of the surname Eady in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8654th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eady, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eady
The surname Eady is an English surname that originated in the county of Buckinghamshire, England in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ead" which means prosperity or fortune. The name likely referred to someone who was prosperous or fortunate.
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, where it appears as Ede. Other early spellings include Eddy, Edye, and Eddye. The name is also found in various medieval records and manuscripts such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1311, where it appears as Edy.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Eady, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1344. Another early bearer was William Eady, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
The surname Eady is also associated with several place names in England, such as Eady Green in Staffordshire and Eady Hill in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself.
Some notable historical figures who bore the surname Eady include:
1. Sir John Eady (1572-1628), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London.
2. Richard Eady (1617-1672), an English Puritan minister and author.
3. Mary Eady (c. 1650-1705), an English Quaker preacher and writer.
4. John Eady (1762-1840), an English artist and engraver.
5. Samuel Eady (1824-1908), an English geologist and paleontologist.
The surname Eady has a long and rich history in England, dating back to the medieval period. Its origins are rooted in the Old English language and its meaning is associated with prosperity and fortune. The name has been recorded in various historical records and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eady
Among Census respondents with the surname Eady, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Eady bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Eady surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.8% · 1,850
- White42.3% · 1,539
- Two or more races4.0% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eady
Eady appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,992
+273 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 91 places
2020
#8,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,639
-353 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,208 | 3,719 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,299 | 3,992 | 1.35 | +273 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 91 places |
| 2020 | #8,654 | 3,639 | 1.22 | -353 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 355 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Eady surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,299 | #8,654 | -4.3% |
| Count | 3,992 | 3,639 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.22 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eady bearers went from 3,992 to 3,639 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 355 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,299 to #8,654.
FAQ
Eady surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eady?
Name Census estimates that about 4,173 living Americans carry the surname Eady. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,136 residents.
How common is Eady?
Eady ranks #8,654 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,639 people with the surname Eady. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Eady.
Has Eady become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eady went from 3,992 recorded bearers to 3,639. That is a decrease of 353 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,299 to #8,654.
What does the Census say about the background of Eady?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eady, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Eady in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.8% (1,850 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eady appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (50.8%), White (42.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Eady (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Eady mean?
Derived from the Old English word "eadig," meaning "rich, blessed, or prosperous." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Eady (1.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Eady?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Eady on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.