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

Eddy, 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 Eddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eddy in America

Eddy is the 1858th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eddy surname appeared 19,321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Eddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eddy 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 Eddy

The surname EDDY originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English given name Eadwig or Ædwine, meaning "prosperous friend" or "prosperous guardian." The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in the east of England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the name Eadwig or similar variations. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of the country by the late 11th century.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as Eddy, Edye, and Eddye. These early forms of the surname were often associated with place names, such as Eddisbury in Cheshire and Eddington in Wiltshire, indicating that some bearers of the name derived their surnames from the locations where they lived or held land.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Eddy was Sir John Eddy, a prominent landowner and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Somerset for his service.

During the Tudor period, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Sir William Eddy (c. 1490-1555), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament and held estates in Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, Samuel Eddy (1608-1676) was a notable English-born Puritan settler who emigrated to New England and became one of the founders of the town of Watertown, Massachusetts. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in colonial America.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), the founder of the Christian Science movement. Born Mary Morse Baker in New Hampshire, she adopted the surname Eddy after marrying her third husband, Asa Gilbert Eddy.

Throughout history, the Eddy surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, politicians, scientists, and religious figures. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse histories and journeys of those who have carried it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eddy

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

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

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

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