2000
#4,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,670
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.84
Rare Last name
Eck
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone living near an oak tree or in an oak forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,592 Americans carry the last name Eck. That puts it at #4,588 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eck 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
8.6K
1 in 39,892
Census rank
#4,588
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,493 bearers of the surname Eck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4588th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eck
The surname "Eck" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known occurrences dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "ecke," which translates to "corner" or "edge." This suggests that the name may have been initially attributed to individuals who lived near a prominent corner or the edge of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Eck" can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Konrad Eck is mentioned as a prominent citizen in the year 1292. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition in various parts of Germany by the late medieval period.
In the 15th century, the surname "Eck" appeared in several manuscripts and chronicles, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One notable figure from this era was Johann Eck, a prominent theologian and professor at the University of Ingolstadt, who lived from 1486 to 1543. He is best known for his public debates with Martin Luther, which played a significant role in shaping the Protestant Reformation.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as "Ecke," "Eckert," and "Eckhart." These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic traditions.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the surname "Eck" was Johann Friedrich Eck, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1763 to 1812. His works were highly regarded in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and he is considered one of the finest engravers of his time.
In the 19th century, the surname "Eck" gained prominence in the United States, as many German immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One notable American bearing this surname was Johann Eck, a German-born businessman and real estate developer who lived from 1827 to 1892 and played a significant role in the development of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Another prominent figure with the surname "Eck" was Arnold Eck, a German-American artist and illustrator who lived from 1884 to 1963. He is renowned for his contributions to the Art Nouveau movement and his work as a book illustrator.
While the surname "Eck" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including other European countries and the Americas, where it continues to be associated with its Germanic heritage and the rich history of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eck
Among Census respondents with the surname Eck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eck 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 Eck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 6,971
- Two or more races2.8% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 208
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 51
- Black or African American0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eck
Eck 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
#4,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,681
+11 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#4,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,493
-188 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Up 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,281 | 7,670 | 2.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,618 | 7,681 | 2.60 | +11 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #4,588 | 7,493 | 2.51 | -188 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 30 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 Eck 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 | #4,618 | #4,588 | 0.6% |
| Count | 7,681 | 7,493 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.60 | 2.51 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eck bearers went from 7,681 to 7,493 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,618 to #4,588.
FAQ
Eck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eck?
Name Census estimates that about 8,592 living Americans carry the surname Eck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,892 residents.
How common is Eck?
Eck ranks #4,588 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,493 people with the surname Eck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,592), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Eck.
Has Eck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eck went from 7,681 recorded bearers to 7,493. That is a decrease of 188 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,618 to #4,588.
What does the Census say about the background of Eck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) 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 Eck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (6,971 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%), 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 Eck (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 Eck mean?
A German and Dutch toponymic surname indicating someone living near an oak tree or in an oak forest. 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 Eck (2.51 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 common is the surname Eck?
See how many people have the surname Eck on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.