2000
#7,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,296
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Ealy
Derived from the Old English word "ealh," meaning a servant or laborer in a nobleman's hall or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,957 Americans carry the last name Ealy. That puts it at #7,430 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ealy 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 Ealy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 69,146
Census rank
#7,430
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,323 bearers of the surname Ealy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7430th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ealy
The surname Ealy has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ealh," which means "temple" or "place of worship." Some historians also suggest that the name may have stemmed from a place name, possibly a settlement near a church or temple.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ealy can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Somerset, where a John Ealy was recorded in 1592. It is also documented that a William Ealy was born in Gloucestershire in 1618, providing evidence of the name's presence in the region during that period.
The Ealy surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Ealey, Ealye, and Ealie. These variations can be attributed to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the evolution of the English language over time.
In the 17th century, the Ealy name appeared in several historical documents, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, which recorded households in various counties of England. One notable individual bearing the Ealy surname was Robert Ealy, a merchant who lived in London during the late 1600s and was involved in the thriving trade between England and the American colonies.
As the Ealy family spread across England, some members settled in different regions, leading to the formation of place names associated with the surname. For example, Ealytown was a small hamlet in Wiltshire, and Ealyford was a village in Somerset, both of which likely derived their names from Ealy families residing in those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Ealy surname. One such figure was John Ealy (1688-1757), a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in the city of Bath. Another prominent Ealy was Elizabeth Ealy (1795-1872), a philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor in London's East End.
Other notable Ealys include Sir Thomas Ealy (1822-1898), a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to several European countries, and Samuel Ealy (1847-1923), a prominent industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire.
While the Ealy surname may not be as widespread as some other English names, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the diverse experiences of those who have borne this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ealy
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ealy 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 Ealy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.4% · 2,136
- White42.3% · 1,829
- Two or more races4.4% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ealy
Ealy 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
#7,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,408
+112 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 380 places
2020
#7,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,323
-85 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,163 | 4,296 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,543 | 4,408 | 1.49 | +112 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 380 places |
| 2020 | #7,430 | 4,323 | 1.45 | -85 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 113 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 Ealy 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 | #7,543 | #7,430 | 1.5% |
| Count | 4,408 | 4,323 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.45 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ealy bearers went from 4,408 to 4,323 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,543 to #7,430.
FAQ
Ealy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ealy?
Name Census estimates that about 4,957 living Americans carry the surname Ealy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,146 residents.
How common is Ealy?
Ealy ranks #7,430 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 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 4,323 people with the surname Ealy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,957), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 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 Ealy.
Has Ealy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ealy went from 4,408 recorded bearers to 4,323. That is a decrease of 85 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,543 to #7,430.
What does the Census say about the background of Ealy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Ealy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.4% (2,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ealy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.4%), White (42.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Ealy (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 Ealy mean?
Derived from the Old English word "ealh," meaning a servant or laborer in a nobleman's hall or residence. 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 Ealy (1.45 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 Ealy?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Ealy at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.