2000
#5,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,249
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.32
Rare Last name
Eby
A surname of Germanic origin, derived from a shortened form of personal names beginning with the element "Eber-," meaning "boar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,912 Americans carry the last name Eby. That puts it at #4,950 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eby 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.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,321
Census rank
#4,950
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,900 bearers of the surname Eby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4950th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eby, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eby
The surname Eby has its origins in Switzerland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Swiss German word "Ebene," meaning "plain" or "flat land," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have hailed from a region with a flat or level terrain.
The earliest recorded instances of the Eby surname can be found in Swiss church records from the late 1500s and early 1600s. One notable entry is that of Hans Eby, born in 1612 in the village of Sumiswald, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.
As the Eby family grew and migrated, variations in spelling emerged, including Eby, Ebey, Ebee, and Aeby. The name also appears to have been associated with certain place names, such as Ebnet and Ebnit, which may have influenced its evolution.
In the 17th century, members of the Eby family emigrated from Switzerland to the New World, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities. Christian Eby (1673-1744) was among the earliest known Eby settlers in Pennsylvania, arriving in 1712 with his wife and children.
Another notable figure was Bishop Benjamin Eby (1785-1853), a prominent leader in the River Brethren church, who played a significant role in shaping the religious landscape of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
The Eby name has also made its mark in fields beyond religion. John Eby (1788-1863) was a notable politician and farmer in Pennsylvania, serving as a member of the state legislature and advocating for agricultural reform.
In the realm of literature, Emerson Eby (1857-1926), an American author and journalist, gained recognition for his works on travel and adventure, including his book "Prose Pastorals."
Lastly, Peter Eby (1765-1843), a Canadian entrepreneur and landowner, left a lasting legacy through his contributions to the development of the town of Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, where he established several businesses and played a pivotal role in the community's growth.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and diverse contributions associated with the Eby surname, which has its roots in the picturesque landscapes of Switzerland and has since spread across continents, leaving an indelible mark on various facets of society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eby
Among Census respondents with the surname Eby, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eby 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 Eby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 6,318
- Two or more races2.9% · 201
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 191
- Black or African American1.2% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eby
Eby 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
#5,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,786
+537 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 2.30
Rank movement Down 3 places
2020
#4,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,900
+114 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Up 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,152 | 6,249 | 2.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,155 | 6,786 | 2.30 | +537 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 3 places |
| 2020 | #4,950 | 6,900 | 2.31 | +114 bearers (+1.7%) | Up 205 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 Eby 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 | #5,155 | #4,950 | 4.0% |
| Count | 6,786 | 6,900 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.30 | 2.31 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eby bearers went from 6,786 to 6,900 (+1.7% change). The surname moved up 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,155 to #4,950.
FAQ
Eby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eby?
Name Census estimates that about 7,912 living Americans carry the surname Eby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,321 residents.
How common is Eby?
Eby ranks #4,950 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,900 people with the surname Eby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Eby.
Has Eby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eby went from 6,786 recorded bearers to 6,900. That is an increase of 114 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,155 to #4,950.
What does the Census say about the background of Eby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eby, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Eby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (6,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Eby (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 Eby mean?
A surname of Germanic origin, derived from a shortened form of personal names beginning with the element "Eber-," meaning "boar." 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 Eby (2.31 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 many people share the surname Eby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.