2000
#11,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,568
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Eckhart
A German surname derived from the personal name Eckhart, meaning "strong" or "brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,776 Americans carry the last name Eckhart. That puts it at #12,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eckhart 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
2.8K
1 in 123,471
Census rank
#12,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,421 bearers of the surname Eckhart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eckhart
The surname Eckhart originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "ec" meaning "corner" or "edge," and "hart" meaning "hardy" or "brave." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on the outskirts or edges of a settlement, possibly indicating their strength and resilience.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Eckhart can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions. One notable figure was Meister Eckhart, a renowned German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who lived from around 1260 to 1328. His teachings and writings profoundly influenced the development of mystical and speculative thought in the Western Christian tradition.
In the 14th century, the name Eckhart appeared in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony. This suggests that the surname was well-established in different parts of Germany during this time.
Another notable individual with the surname Eckhart was Johann Georg Eckhart, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1664. He made significant contributions to the study of calculus and is known for his work on the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 18th century, the German philosopher and writer Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) mentioned the name Eckhart in his writings, further solidifying its historical presence.
The surname Eckhart also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Eckhartsheim, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Eckhartsau, a municipality in the district of Bingen, Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
Other notable individuals with the surname Eckhart include the American psychologist and philosopher Meister Eckhart Tolle, born in 1948, who is known for his works on spirituality and mindfulness. Additionally, the German-American actor and filmmaker Charles Eckhart (1920-1995) made significant contributions to the film industry during the mid-20th century.
While the surname Eckhart has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name found in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eckhart
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eckhart 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 Eckhart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,214
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 92
- Two or more races3.3% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eckhart
Eckhart 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
#12,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,571
+3 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 833 places
2020
#12,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,421
-150 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,291 | 2,568 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,124 | 2,571 | 0.87 | +3 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 833 places |
| 2020 | #12,275 | 2,421 | 0.81 | -150 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 151 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 Eckhart 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 | #12,124 | #12,275 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,571 | 2,421 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.81 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eckhart bearers went from 2,571 to 2,421 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,124 to #12,275.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Eckhart
FAQ
Eckhart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eckhart?
Name Census estimates that about 2,776 living Americans carry the surname Eckhart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,471 residents.
How common is Eckhart?
Eckhart ranks #12,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,421 people with the surname Eckhart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Eckhart.
Has Eckhart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eckhart went from 2,571 recorded bearers to 2,421. That is a decrease of 150 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,124 to #12,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Eckhart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eckhart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eckhart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eckhart (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 Eckhart mean?
A German surname derived from the personal name Eckhart, meaning "strong" or "brave." 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 Eckhart (0.81 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 Americans have the surname Eckhart?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.