Find out how popular the last name Earls is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Earls.

Earls, 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 Earls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Earls in America

Earls is the 5658th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Earls surname appeared 6,136 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Earls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Earls 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.

The history of the last name Earls

The surname Earls is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "eorl," which means "nobleman" or "leader." The name first appeared in the 12th century and was often used to refer to individuals who held the title of Earl, a rank of nobility in the British peerage system.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Earls can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190, where a man named William Earls is mentioned. It is believed that this individual may have been a landowner or a person of some standing in the community.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Earls was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. In some cases, the name may have derived from place names such as Earls Court in London or Earls Barton in Northamptonshire.

One notable historical figure with the surname Earls was Sir Walter Earls, a prominent English soldier and naval commander who lived from 1556 to 1615. He served in the Dutch Revolt against Spain and later became a vice-admiral in the English Navy.

Another noteworthy individual was John Earls (1605-1665), an English divine and author who served as the Bishop of Worcester and Salisbury. He was known for his writings on theology and his support for the Church of England during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Richard Earls (1708-1782) was a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1776 to 1782.

The surname Earls also has connections to the arts, with Jane Earls (1766-1846) being a well-known English painter and engraver during the Regency era. Her works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious venues.

Another notable figure was Sir Percy Earls (1875-1953), a British diplomat and ambassador who served in various countries, including China, Japan, and Turkey, during the early 20th century.

While the surname Earls is not as common as other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, law, politics, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Earls

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Earls.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Earls was:

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 Earls has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Earls was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Earls, please contact us.

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