2000
#12,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Eager
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a keen or enthusiastic person, from the Old French "aigre" meaning "keen, eager."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,172 Americans carry the last name Eager. That puts it at #14,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,806 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eager 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 Eager with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,806
Census rank
#14,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,894 bearers of the surname Eager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eager, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eager
The surname Eager has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It derives from the Old English word "eger," meaning "keen" or "eager." This was likely an occupational name given to someone who displayed a particularly enthusiastic or zealous demeanor.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Eggarus" and "Egharus." These were early spelling variations that later evolved into the modern form of Eager. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, records show an Eagar de Clivelay, who held lands in Clivelay, Lancashire. This indicates that some Eager families were landowners and had adopted the name as a surname. The Eagers of Sandbach, Cheshire, were another prominent family, with their ancestral seat located in the town of Sandbach.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Eager was John Eager (c.1470-1534), a English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1529. Another notable bearer of the name was William Eager (1547-1618), a clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe in Ireland.
During the 17th century, the Eager family spread across various parts of England. Robert Eager (1605-1684) was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Middlesex, while Thomas Eager (1628-1692) was a prominent clothier and benefactor in the town of Kendal, Westmorland.
In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like John Eager Howard (1752-1827), a Revolutionary War hero and the fifth Governor of Maryland. Another notable figure was Sir William Eager (1766-1839), a British naval officer and Vice-Admiral who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries passed, the Eager surname continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and professionals. Some examples include Samuel Eager (1813-1883), an English engraver and artist, and William Eager (1832-1912), a British Wesleyan minister and author.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eager
Among Census respondents with the surname Eager, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Eager 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 Eager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 1,670
- Two or more races3.9% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 58
- Black or African American3.0% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eager
Eager 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
#13,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,305
+131 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#14,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,894
-411 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,945 | 2,174 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,246 | 2,305 | 0.78 | +131 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #14,982 | 1,894 | 0.63 | -411 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 1,736 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 Eager 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 | #13,246 | #14,982 | -13.1% |
| Count | 2,305 | 1,894 | -17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.63 | -18.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eager bearers went from 2,305 to 1,894 (-17.8% change). The surname moved down 1,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,246 to #14,982.
FAQ
Eager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eager?
Name Census estimates that about 2,172 living Americans carry the surname Eager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,806 residents.
How common is Eager?
Eager ranks #14,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,894 people with the surname Eager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,172), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Eager.
Has Eager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eager went from 2,305 recorded bearers to 1,894. That is a decrease of 411 (-17.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,246 to #14,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Eager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eager, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Eager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (1,670 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Eager (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 Eager mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a keen or enthusiastic person, from the Old French "aigre" meaning "keen, eager." 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 Eager (0.63 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 many people share the surname Eager?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.