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

Eckart, 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 Eckart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eckart in America

Eckart is the 15606th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eckart surname appeared 1,873 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Eckart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eckart 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 Eckart

The surname Eckart has its origins in Germany, with its earliest recorded appearance dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Eckhart, which is composed of the elements "ec" meaning "eternal" and "hart" meaning "brave" or "hardy." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who exhibited exceptional courage or endurance.

The name Eckart is believed to have first emerged in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the surrounding areas. It is closely associated with the medieval German epic poem "Eckenlied," which features a protagonist named Eckhart who displays extraordinary bravery in battles against the Huns.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Eckart was Meister Eckhart, a renowned German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who lived from around 1260 to 1328. His writings and teachings had a profound influence on Christian mysticism and are still studied today.

In the 14th century, the Eckart name appeared in various records and documents across Germany, including the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae," which contained legal and administrative records from the region of Saxony.

Another notable figure associated with the Eckart surname was Johann Eckart, a 16th-century German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of Protestant church music. He was born around 1492 and died in 1554.

During the 17th century, the name Eckart was found in various place names across Germany, such as Eckartshausen and Eckartsweiher, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in those locations.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Eckart (1719-1789) was a German historian and professor of philosophy who wrote extensively on the history of literature and education.

As the name spread throughout Germany and its neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Eckardt, Eckhardt, and Eckhart. However, the core elements of the name remained consistent, reflecting its enduring connection to the concepts of bravery and resilience.

Other notable individuals with the Eckart surname include Dietrich Eckart (1868-1923), a German writer and politician who was an early supporter of Adolf Hitler, and Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, 1914-2000), an Austrian-American actress and inventor who was initially known by her married name of Hedy Kiesler Eckart.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eckart

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

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

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

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