2000
#14,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Eckley
Derived from a place name meaning "oak-tree wood" or "oak-tree clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,151 Americans carry the last name Eckley. That puts it at #15,098 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eckley 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 Eckley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 159,347
Census rank
#15,098
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,876 bearers of the surname Eckley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15098th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eckley
The surname Eckley traces its origins to the English counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "ęcce," meaning "oak," and "leah," meaning "clearing" or "meadow," thus referring to an oak clearing or meadow inhabited by the name's early bearers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eckley can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John de Eckeley from the village of Eckeley, near present-day Bradford. This village's name likely evolved from the Old English "Ęccelēah," further supporting the name's etymological roots.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Eckly, Eckeley, and Eckeley, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. A notable figure from this period was Thomas Eckley (c. 1550-1624), a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, whose family held substantial estates in the region.
The 17th century saw the name spread beyond its original Yorkshire and Lancashire heartlands. One notable bearer was Robert Eckley (1614-1688), a Puritan minister and author who served as the Vicar of Hawkesworth in Yorkshire and published several theological works.
During the 18th century, the Eckley name continued to be found across northern England, with several individuals achieving notable status. These included John Eckley (1719-1795), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Lancashire, and Elizabeth Eckley (1753-1832), a renowned philanthropist and benefactor in Yorkshire.
In the 19th century, the name spread further afield as Eckley families emigrated to various parts of the British Empire and beyond. One prominent figure was Samuel Eckley (1825-1899), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Eckley Mining Company in Pennsylvania, establishing a mining town that bore his name.
Throughout its history, the Eckley surname has been borne by a diverse array of individuals, including clergymen, merchants, landowners, industrialists, and philanthropists. While its origins lie in the oak clearings of medieval Yorkshire and Lancashire, the name has since dispersed across the globe, carried by generations of Eckleys who have left their mark on the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eckley
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eckley 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 Eckley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,695
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 78
- Two or more races2.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 22
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eckley
Eckley 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
#15,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,965
+44 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 731 places
2020
#15,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,876
-89 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,302 | 1,921 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,033 | 1,965 | 0.67 | +44 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 731 places |
| 2020 | #15,098 | 1,876 | 0.63 | -89 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 65 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 Eckley 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 | #15,033 | #15,098 | -0.4% |
| Count | 1,965 | 1,876 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eckley bearers went from 1,965 to 1,876 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,033 to #15,098.
FAQ
Eckley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eckley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,151 living Americans carry the surname Eckley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,347 residents.
How common is Eckley?
Eckley ranks #15,098 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,876 people with the surname Eckley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Eckley.
Has Eckley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eckley went from 1,965 recorded bearers to 1,876. That is a decrease of 89 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,033 to #15,098.
What does the Census say about the background of Eckley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Eckley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,695 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eckley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Eckley (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 Eckley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak-tree wood" or "oak-tree clearing" in Old English. 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 Eckley (0.63 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 Eckley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Eckley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.