2000
#4,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,949
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.95
Rare Last name
Eagle
An English surname derived from the bird of prey, likely referring to a person with keen sight or a hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,766 Americans carry the last name Eagle. That puts it at #4,516 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eagle 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 Eagle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 39,100
Census rank
#4,516
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,644 bearers of the surname Eagle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4516th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eagle
The surname Eagle has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'Egle', which means an eagle. This name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or area inhabited by eagles, or it could have been used as a nickname for someone who was perceived to have eagle-like qualities, such as sharp vision or strength.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, which mentions a person named William Eagle. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals with this surname, such as Walter le Egle and Robert Egle.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Testa de Nevill, an ancient catalogue of feudal tenants in England, where it was recorded as Eagel and Eggel. These variations in spelling highlight the linguistic evolution of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the surname Eagle include Sir William Eagle (1567-1622), an English politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1612. Another prominent figure was John Eagle (1615-1678), an English Puritan clergyman and author of several theological works.
In the 18th century, Edward Eagle (1741-1819) was a notable English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and its surrounding areas.
Moving into the 19th century, Charles Eagle (1825-1905) was a British painter and engraver known for his landscape and animal paintings. During the same period, John Eagle (1837-1904) was an English architect and surveyor who designed various residential and commercial buildings in London.
Throughout history, the surname Eagle has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergy, architects, artists, and surveyors. While the name's origins can be traced back to Old English, it has endured and evolved over the centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eagle
Among Census respondents with the surname Eagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eagle 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 Eagle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.7% · 5,711
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.0% · 688
- Two or more races6.8% · 521
- Black or African American4.8% · 368
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 278
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 78
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eagle
Eagle 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
#4,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,325
+376 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 138 places
2020
#4,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,644
-681 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,123 | 7,949 | 2.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,261 | 8,325 | 2.82 | +376 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 138 places |
| 2020 | #4,516 | 7,644 | 2.56 | -681 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 255 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 Eagle 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 | #4,261 | #4,516 | -6.0% |
| Count | 8,325 | 7,644 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.56 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eagle bearers went from 8,325 to 7,644 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,261 to #4,516.
FAQ
Eagle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eagle?
Name Census estimates that about 8,766 living Americans carry the surname Eagle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,100 residents.
How common is Eagle?
Eagle ranks #4,516 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,644 people with the surname Eagle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,766), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Eagle.
Has Eagle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eagle went from 8,325 recorded bearers to 7,644. That is a decrease of 681 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,261 to #4,516.
What does the Census say about the background of Eagle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Eagle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.7% (5,711 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eagle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (9.0%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Eagle (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 Eagle mean?
An English surname derived from the bird of prey, likely referring to a person with keen sight or a hunter. 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 Eagle (2.56 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 have the surname Eagle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.