2000
#12,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Eaker
Derived from the Old English "eacian," meaning "to increase" or "to grow," likely referring to a prolific ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,447 Americans carry the last name Eaker. That puts it at #13,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,071 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eaker 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.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,071
Census rank
#13,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,134 bearers of the surname Eaker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eaker
The surname Eaker is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "eacere," which means "an oakwood" or "a place where oak trees grow." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in an oak forest.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Eaker can be found in various medieval documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, with spellings such as "Ecker," "Eker," and "Eiker." While the name does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book, it is mentioned in several other historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a John Eiker.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Eker, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1380. He was a farmer and landowner, and his family is believed to have lived in the area for several generations before him.
In the 16th century, the surname Eaker began to spread beyond its original region, with records showing families bearing the name in various parts of England, including London and the northern counties. One notable figure from this period was Robert Eaker, born in 1543 in Yorkshire, who was a merchant and alderman in the city of York.
As the centuries passed, the surname Eaker continued to evolve and adapt to different regions and dialects. In some areas, it was spelled as "Eaker," while in others it was written as "Eaker" or "Eacker." One of the earliest recorded instances of the "Eaker" spelling can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, which mentioned the baptism of a child named John Eaker in 1612.
Another notable bearer of the surname was William Eaker, born in 1685 in Oxfordshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a justice of the peace in his local community. His descendants continued to play important roles in the region for several generations.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many individuals with the surname Eaker immigrated to North America, particularly to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded arrivals was John Eaker, who settled in Virginia in 1721. Other notable figures from this period include Samuel Eaker, born in 1792 in Pennsylvania, who fought in the War of 1812, and Joseph Eaker, born in 1824 in Ohio, who was a prominent farmer and community leader.
Throughout its history, the surname Eaker has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, soldiers, and community leaders. While the name may have originated in a specific region of England, it has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of those who carry this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eaker
Among Census respondents with the surname Eaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eaker 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 Eaker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,955
- Two or more races3.6% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eaker
Eaker 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
#13,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,263
-19 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 981 places
2020
#13,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,134
-129 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,475 | 2,282 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,456 | 2,263 | 0.77 | -19 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 981 places |
| 2020 | #13,598 | 2,134 | 0.71 | -129 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 142 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 Eaker 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 | #13,456 | #13,598 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,263 | 2,134 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.71 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eaker bearers went from 2,263 to 2,134 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,456 to #13,598.
FAQ
Eaker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eaker?
Name Census estimates that about 2,447 living Americans carry the surname Eaker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,071 residents.
How common is Eaker?
Eaker ranks #13,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,134 people with the surname Eaker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,447), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Eaker.
Has Eaker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eaker went from 2,263 recorded bearers to 2,134. That is a decrease of 129 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,456 to #13,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Eaker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Eaker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,955 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eaker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Eaker (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 Eaker mean?
Derived from the Old English "eacian," meaning "to increase" or "to grow," likely referring to a prolific ancestor. 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 Eaker (0.71 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 Eaker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.