2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Eckroat
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term referring to someone who cleared land or cleared a road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Eckroat. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eckroat 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Eckroat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckroat, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eckroat
The surname Eckroat is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Ecker," which means "corner" or "edge," and the word "Roat," which could have been derived from either the German word "Rot" (meaning "red") or the Old High German word "Roth" (meaning "clearing" or "forest clearing").
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Johann Eckroat was listed as a resident in the year 1492. This suggests that the name may have been first established in this region before spreading to other parts of Germany and eventually beyond.
In the 16th century, there are records of an Eckroat family residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is located in the northern part of Bavaria. This town's name, which means "Red Fortress on the Tauber River," may have contributed to the name's etymology, as it contains the word "Roth" (or "Rot"), potentially linking the surname to a place name.
One notable individual with the surname Eckroat was Hans Eckroat (1520-1583), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Bavaria. He was a staunch supporter of Martin Luther's teachings and worked tirelessly to promote the Protestant cause in his region.
Another notable figure was Maria Eckroat (1618-1678), a German herbalist and midwife who was renowned for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her expertise in childbirth. Her contributions to the field of midwifery were widely recognized during her lifetime, and she is credited with helping to advance the practice in her local community.
In the 18th century, the Eckroat name appeared in the records of the town of Augsburg, where a family by the name of Eckroat was involved in the local textile trade. One member of this family, Johann Georg Eckroat (1745-1812), was a successful merchant and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the economic development of the town.
As the surname spread beyond Germany, it also found its way into other European countries and eventually across the Atlantic to North America. One notable American with the surname was William Eckroat (1832-1911), a Union soldier who fought in the American Civil War and later became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Overall, the surname Eckroat has a rich and diverse history, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval period in Bavaria, Germany. While its precise origins and meaning remain shrouded in some uncertainty, the name has been associated with various occupations, professions, and notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eckroat
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckroat, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eckroat 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 Eckroat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eckroat
Eckroat 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,673 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-20 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,673 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 18,992 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 Eckroat 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 | #123,796 | #142,788 | -15.3% |
| Count | 139 | 119 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eckroat bearers went from 139 to 119 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 18,992 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #142,788.
FAQ
Eckroat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eckroat?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Eckroat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Eckroat?
Eckroat ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Eckroat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Eckroat.
Has Eckroat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eckroat went from 139 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Eckroat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eckroat, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Eckroat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eckroat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (0.8%). 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 Eckroat (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 Eckroat mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term referring to someone who cleared land or cleared a road. 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 Eckroat (0.04 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 people have the last name Eckroat?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Eckroat at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.