2000
#43,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 469
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Eckersley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Meadow of Eckard's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 521 Americans carry the last name Eckersley. That puts it at #49,914 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 657,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eckersley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Eckersley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
521
1 in 657,878
Census rank
#49,914
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
454
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 454 bearers of the surname Eckersley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49914th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckersley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eckersley
The surname Eckersley is of English origin, hailing from the county of Lancashire in the north-west of England. It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from a combination of the Old English words "ec," meaning oak, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing, with the suffix "-ley" being a common place-name ending. Thus, Eckersley likely referred to a meadow or settlement near an oak tree or oak grove.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Eckersley can be found in the Whalley Abbey Coucher Book, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This record documents the transfer of land in the township of Eccleshill, near Blackburn, to a family with the surname Eckersley. The spelling at the time was "Eckerslegh," reflecting the name's evolution over time.
In the centuries that followed, the Eckersley name appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers, tax rolls, and land deeds. One notable example is the mention of a William Eckersley in the Whalley Parish Registers in 1594, indicating the family's long-standing presence in the region.
Several individuals with the surname Eckersley have made their mark throughout history. One such figure was Peter Eckersley (1805-1880), a prominent English industrialist and inventor who patented several improvements to textile machinery. Another was Thomas Eckersley (1847-1914), a renowned English architect responsible for designing numerous public buildings, including the Royal College of Music in London.
In the realm of literature, the name Eckersley is associated with Arthur Eckersley (1917-1990), an English poet and writer known for his works exploring themes of nature and the countryside. His poetry collection, "The Voices of the Land," published in 1959, garnered critical acclaim.
The world of sports has also seen its fair share of notable Eckersleys. One example is David Eckersley (born 1954), an English former professional footballer who played for various clubs, including Manchester United and Aston Villa, during the 1970s and 1980s.
Additionally, the name Eckersley has been linked to various place names throughout Lancashire and neighboring counties. For instance, the village of Eccleshill near Blackburn, mentioned earlier, is believed to have derived its name from a similar linguistic root as the surname Eckersley, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eckersley
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckersley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Eckersley 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 Eckersley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 390
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 27
- Two or more races4.2% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 7
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eckersley
Eckersley 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
#47,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 450
-19 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 3,809 places
2020
#49,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 454
+4 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 2,728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,377 | 469 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,186 | 450 | 0.15 | -19 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 3,809 places |
| 2020 | #49,914 | 454 | 0.15 | +4 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 2,728 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 Eckersley 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 | #47,186 | #49,914 | -5.8% |
| Count | 450 | 454 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eckersley bearers went from 450 to 454 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,728 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,186 to #49,914.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Eckersley
FAQ
Eckersley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eckersley?
Name Census estimates that about 521 living Americans carry the surname Eckersley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 657,878 residents.
How common is Eckersley?
Eckersley ranks #49,914 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 454 people with the surname Eckersley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (521), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Eckersley.
Has Eckersley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eckersley went from 450 recorded bearers to 454. That is an increase of 4 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #47,186 to #49,914.
What does the Census say about the background of Eckersley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckersley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Eckersley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (390 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eckersley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Eckersley (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 Eckersley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Meadow of Eckard's people." 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 Eckersley (0.15 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 Eckersley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Eckersley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.