2000
#11,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Edelen
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Faoláin," meaning "descendant of Faolán" (little wolf).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,751 Americans carry the last name Edelen. That puts it at #12,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Edelen 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 124,593
Census rank
#12,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,399 bearers of the surname Edelen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Edelen
The surname EDELEN has its roots in the German language and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Edel" or "Edlen". The name is derived from the Old German word "edel", meaning "noble" or "aristocratic".
During the Middle Ages, the EDELEN name was associated with landowners and nobility in Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, which mentions a person named "Heinrich von Edelen".
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including "Edelin", "Edelein", and "Edelyne". In the 14th century, the EDELEN surname appeared in France, where it was often associated with the region of Normandy.
One notable individual with the EDELEN surname was Johann Edelen (1452-1524), a German theologian and professor at the University of Ingolstadt. He played a significant role in the intellectual and religious debates of his time.
In the 16th century, the EDELEN name made its way to England, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Edelin" or "Edlyn". One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the parish records of St. Olave's Church in London, which mention a marriage between William Edelen and Jane Smyth in 1586.
During the 17th century, several members of the EDELEN family emigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was John Edelen, who arrived in Maryland in the mid-1600s and established a plantation in what is now Prince George's County.
Another notable figure with the EDELEN surname was Henry Edelen (1786-1873), a prominent lawyer and politician from Maryland. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1825 to 1833.
In the 19th century, the EDELEN name gained recognition in the field of medicine. Dr. William Edelen (1822-1896) was a distinguished physician and surgeon who served as the president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia.
Throughout its history, the EDELEN surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from nobility and landowners to academics, politicians, and medical professionals. While the name has undergone various spelling variations, its origins can be traced back to the German word "edel", reflecting a sense of nobility and distinction.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Edelen
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Edelen 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 Edelen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 1,748
- Black or African American19.9% · 478
- Two or more races4.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Edelen
Edelen 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
#12,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,524
+124 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#12,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
-125 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,943 | 2,400 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,320 | 2,524 | 0.86 | +124 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #12,365 | 2,399 | 0.80 | -125 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 45 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 Edelen 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 | #12,320 | #12,365 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,524 | 2,399 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Edelen bearers went from 2,524 to 2,399 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,320 to #12,365.
FAQ
Edelen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Edelen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,751 living Americans carry the surname Edelen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,593 residents.
How common is Edelen?
Edelen ranks #12,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,399 people with the surname Edelen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Edelen.
Has Edelen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Edelen went from 2,524 recorded bearers to 2,399. That is a decrease of 125 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,320 to #12,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Edelen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Edelen, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Edelen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (1,748 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Edelen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Black (19.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Edelen (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 Edelen mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Faoláin," meaning "descendant of Faolán" (little wolf). 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 Edelen (0.80 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 are called Edelen?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Edelen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.