2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Echler
An Americanized spelling of the German occupational surname referring to those who made echelles (ladders).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Echler. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Echler 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Echler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Echler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Echler
The surname "Echler" is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Echler" or the variant "Echeler."
This surname is derived from the Old German word "echel," which means "angle" or "corner." It was likely given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a prominent angle or corner of a street, building, or geographical feature. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked as a maker of angles or corners, perhaps a carpenter or stonemason.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Echler" can be found in the "Codex Traditionum Monasterii Raittenbuch," a medieval manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of Raitenhaslach in Bavaria, dated around 1350. This document mentions an individual named "Chunradus Echler."
In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the name was Hans Echler (c. 1440-1510), a German painter and woodcarver from Nuremberg, known for his altarpieces and sculptures in churches throughout Bavaria.
Another significant figure was Matthias Echler (1520-1588), a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. He served as a minister and professor in various cities, including Wittenberg and Leipzig.
In the 17th century, Johann Echler (1590-1669) was a German composer and organist from Saxony, known for his contributions to the development of church music and organ compositions.
The name "Echler" is also associated with the town of Echler in the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname in that region.
Other notable individuals with the surname "Echler" include Johann Georg Echler (1673-1732), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg, and Friedrich Wilhelm Echler (1809-1892), a German politician and member of the Prussian House of Representatives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Echler
Among Census respondents with the surname Echler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Echler 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 Echler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 118
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Echler
Echler 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,922 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 14,922 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Echler 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Echler bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Echler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Echler?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Echler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Echler?
Echler ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Echler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Echler.
Has Echler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Echler went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Echler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Echler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Echler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Echler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Black (0.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Echler (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 Echler mean?
An Americanized spelling of the German occupational surname referring to those who made echelles (ladders). 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 Echler (0.04 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 have the last name Echler?
See how many people are called Echler on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.