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

Eatman, 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 Eatman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eatman in America

Eatman is the 21940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eatman surname appeared 1,183 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 Eatman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eatman 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 Eatman

The surname EATMAN is an English occupational name derived from the Old English words "etan" meaning "to eat" and "mann" meaning "man." It was likely first used as a descriptive nickname for someone whose profession involved food preparation or consumption, such as a cook, baker, or innkeeper.

The earliest recorded instance of the EATMAN surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, England. In 1275, a John Eatman was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Etman, Eateman, and Eatmanne, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling at the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or the scribes' interpretations.

In the 16th century, the EATMAN surname was documented in the parish records of Wiltshire, where a Thomas Eatman was baptized in 1582. Around the same period, a John Eatman was recorded in the Musters of the Militiamen in Somerset in 1569.

Notable individuals with the EATMAN surname include William Eatman (1762-1837), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of Hertford College, Oxford. Another prominent figure was Sir John Eatman (1810-1892), a British politician and industrialist who served as a Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire from 1857 to 1868.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the EATMAN surname was in Virginia, where Benjamin Eatman (1720-1792) was a landowner and farmer. His descendants played a role in the American Revolutionary War, with his son, James Eatman (1752-1823), serving as a militia officer.

Another notable American with the EATMAN surname was Sarah Eatman (1835-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She co-founded the Mississippi Industrial Institute and College (now Mississippi University for Women) and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women in the South.

While the EATMAN surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and carries the legacy of its occupational origins in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eatman

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

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

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

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