Find out how popular the last name Ean is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ean.
A surname derived from the Irish word "éan" meaning "bird".
Ean, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ean surname is from the 2010 census data.
Ean is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Ean surname appeared 226 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ean.
We can also compare 2010 data for Ean to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 83226 | 96918 | -15.20% |
Count | 226 | 174 | 26.00% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.06 | 28.57% |
The surname Ean has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Gaelic word "eun," which means "bird" or "fowl." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who had a particular affinity for birds or worked with them in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ean can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the swearing of fealty to Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. The entry mentions a certain "Willelmus Eayn" from Aberdeenshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region during the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, a prominent bearer of the name was John Ean, a clergyman who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1429 to 1445. His tenure was marked by several significant events, including his involvement in the negotiations for the release of King James I of Scotland, who had been held captive in England for nearly two decades.
Another notable figure bearing the Ean surname was Sir Robert Ean, a Scottish knight who lived during the 16th century. He was a staunch supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, and is said to have played a crucial role in her escape from Loch Leven Castle in 1568.
In the 17th century, the name Ean appeared in various records related to the Scottish Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement that opposed the religious policies of King Charles I. One such individual was James Ean, a minister who was imprisoned for his involvement in the movement in 1638.
During the 18th century, the name Ean was particularly prevalent in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with several notable bearers hailing from these regions. One example is Angus Ean, a well-known Gaelic poet and songwriter from the Isle of Skye, who lived from 1733 to 1805.
As for place names and older spellings, the name Ean has been linked to various locations in Scotland, such as the village of Eanaruadh in Ross-shire, which translates to "Red Fowl Place" in Gaelic. Additionally, variations like "Eane," "Eayne," and "Eayn" have been found in historical records, reflecting the fluidity of spelling practices in earlier times.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ean.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ean was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 30.97% | 70 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 8.41% | 19 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 55.75% | 126 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 3.10% | 7 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ean has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 30.97% | 31.61% | -2.05% |
Black | 8.41% | 2.87% | 98.23% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 55.75% | 57.47% | -3.04% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | 6.32% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 3.10% | (S)% | (S)% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Ean was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/ean-surname-popularity/">Ean last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Ean last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ean-surname-popularity/.
"Ean last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ean-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 May, 2025
Ean last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ean-surname-popularity/.
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