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

Eckhardt, 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 Eckhardt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eckhardt in America

Eckhardt is the 7368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eckhardt surname appeared 4,520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Eckhardt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eckhardt 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 Eckhardt

The surname ECKHARDT is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German words "ekka," meaning "edge" or "corner," and "hart," meaning "brave" or "hardy." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on the edge of a settlement, perhaps a brave or hardy individual living on the outskirts.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as "Eckhart," "Eckehart," and "Eckhardus" appearing in various historical documents and records from that time. One notable early bearer of the name was Meister Eckhart, a renowned German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who lived from around 1260 to 1328.

In the 14th century, the name Eckhardt appeared in the "Codex Hirsaugiensis," a historical manuscript from the Hirsau Abbey in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This document recorded the names of individuals who held various positions within the abbey and surrounding areas.

During the 16th century, the name Eckhardt was associated with several prominent figures, including Johann Eckhardt (1492-1557), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry, and Jakob Eckhardt (1516-1586), a German composer and organist known for his work in the Lutheran tradition.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Eckhardt (1736-1817) was a German historian and philologist who specialized in the study of ancient Germanic languages and literature. His work played a crucial role in the development of modern German philology.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Friedrich Eckhardt (1766-1834), a German writer and educator who authored several works on education and pedagogy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Throughout its history, the surname Eckhardt has been associated with various notable individuals from different fields, including academics, artists, and professionals. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eckhardt

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

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

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

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