2000
#12,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,192
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Eckles
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "sword" or "blade," likely referring to a swordsman or swordmaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,310 Americans carry the last name Eckles. That puts it at #14,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eckles 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
2.3K
1 in 148,379
Census rank
#14,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,014 bearers of the surname Eckles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eckles
The surname Eckles is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English word "ecki," which means "ridge" or "hill," suggesting that the original bearers of this name lived near a prominent ridge or hill.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Eckles can be found in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Eccles." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Ecles," "Eckles," and "Eccles," indicating the varied spellings that were common during that time. One notable bearer of the name was John de Eccles, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Eckles became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Sir Thomas Eckles (1558-1624), a prominent English lawyer and member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
In the 18th century, the name Eckles was associated with several places in England, including Eccles in Lancashire and Eccles in Kent. One noteworthy individual from this period was Richard Eckles (1720-1795), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
The 19th century saw the Eckles name spread further afield, with some individuals emigrating to North America and other parts of the world. One notable figure was Samuel Eckles (1841-1912), an American businessman and politician who served as the 7th Governor of West Virginia.
Throughout history, the surname Eckles has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and military personnel. Among the most notable bearers of this name were Alfred Eckles (1892-1973), an American artist known for his landscape paintings, and Brigadier General Robert Eckles (1917-2005), a highly decorated officer in the United States Air Force during World War II and the Korean War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eckles
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eckles 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 Eckles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.6% · 1,522
- Black or African American13.7% · 276
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 118
- Two or more races3.6% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eckles
Eckles 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
#13,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
-12 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 994 places
2020
#14,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,014
-166 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,868 | 2,192 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,862 | 2,180 | 0.74 | -12 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 994 places |
| 2020 | #14,292 | 2,014 | 0.67 | -166 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 430 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 Eckles 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 | #13,862 | #14,292 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,180 | 2,014 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.67 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eckles bearers went from 2,180 to 2,014 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 430 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,862 to #14,292.
FAQ
Eckles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eckles?
Name Census estimates that about 2,310 living Americans carry the surname Eckles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,379 residents.
How common is Eckles?
Eckles ranks #14,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,014 people with the surname Eckles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Eckles.
Has Eckles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eckles went from 2,180 recorded bearers to 2,014. That is a decrease of 166 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,862 to #14,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Eckles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Eckles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.6% (1,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eckles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.6%), Black (13.7%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Eckles (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 Eckles mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "sword" or "blade," likely referring to a swordsman or swordmaker. 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 Eckles (0.67 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 Eckles?
Want to know how common the surname Eckles is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.