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

Eastern, 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 Eastern surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eastern in America

Eastern is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eastern surname appeared 125 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 Eastern.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eastern 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 Eastern

The surname EASTERN originates from England, specifically the East Anglia region, during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English word "east," referring to the cardinal direction or the eastern part of a particular area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname EASTERN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1230, where it is listed as "Estren." This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century, possibly indicating the area of origin for a particular family or individual.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, the name appears as "Esterene," further reinforcing its connection to the eastern regions of England. The variant spelling "Estern" is also documented in historical records from the 14th century.

Interestingly, the surname EASTERN is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This absence may indicate that the surname emerged at a later date or was more prevalent in areas not covered by the survey.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname EASTERN was John Eastern, who was born around 1450 in Norfolk, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament for Thetford in 1472.

Another notable figure was Sir William Eastern, born in 1565 in Suffolk, England. He was a distinguished military commander during the English Civil War and played a significant role in the defense of Colchester against the Parliamentarian forces in 1648.

In the 17th century, Richard Eastern (1610-1673) was a respected clergyman and author, known for his theological writings and sermons. He served as the Rector of Worlington in Suffolk.

Moving into the 18th century, we find Mary Eastern (1738-1812), a renowned painter and miniaturist from Essex, England. Her portraits and miniature paintings were highly sought after by the aristocracy of her time.

Lastly, in the 19th century, John Eastern (1826-1897) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, England. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and social causes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eastern

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

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

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

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