2000
#5,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Edens
Derived from the Old English word "ēa-dūn," meaning "hill by a stream," likely referring to a place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,720 Americans carry the last name Edens. That puts it at #5,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Edens 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 Edens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,005
Census rank
#5,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,860 bearers of the surname Edens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Edens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Edens
The surname Edens is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "eden," which means "valley" or "flat land by a river." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a valley or near a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edens can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Edena" and "Edenes," indicating its presence in the region at that time.
During the 13th century, the name Edens was associated with several landowners in various parts of England. One notable example is William de Edens, who held lands in Staffordshire in the late 1200s. Another individual, John Edens, was recorded as a landowner in Warwickshire around the same period.
As the name spread throughout England, it evolved into different spellings, such as "Eddins," "Eddens," and "Edons." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
In the 16th century, the Edens family gained prominence in the northern regions of England. Sir Robert Edens (1515-1593) was a notable figure who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1568. He is remembered for his contributions to the city's governance and his involvement in various civic projects.
Another prominent individual with the surname Edens was Sir Thomas Edens (1568-1624), a member of Parliament who represented the constituency of Northamptonshire. He was known for his active role in the House of Commons and his involvement in various political debates during the reign of King James I.
In the 17th century, the Edens family established itself in the county of Lancashire. One notable member was John Edens (1629-1705), a successful merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Edens continued to be associated with various professions and achievements. Jonathan Edens (1720-1798) was a renowned theologian and author who made significant contributions to the study of religious texts and biblical interpretation.
As the centuries progressed, the Edens surname spread further across England and beyond, with individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields, from politics and academia to the arts and sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Edens
Among Census respondents with the surname Edens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Edens 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 Edens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 5,111
- Black or African American4.7% · 278
- Two or more races3.7% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 184
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Edens
Edens 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
#5,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,110
+60 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Down 381 places
2020
#5,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,860
-250 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,297 | 6,050 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,678 | 6,110 | 2.07 | +60 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 381 places |
| 2020 | #5,697 | 5,860 | 1.96 | -250 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 19 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 Edens 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 | #5,678 | #5,697 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,110 | 5,860 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.07 | 1.96 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Edens bearers went from 6,110 to 5,860 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,678 to #5,697.
FAQ
Edens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Edens?
Name Census estimates that about 6,720 living Americans carry the surname Edens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,005 residents.
How common is Edens?
Edens ranks #5,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,860 people with the surname Edens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Edens.
Has Edens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Edens went from 6,110 recorded bearers to 5,860. That is a decrease of 250 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,678 to #5,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Edens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Edens, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Edens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (5,111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Edens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Edens (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 Edens mean?
Derived from the Old English word "ēa-dūn," meaning "hill by a stream," likely referring to a place of origin. 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 Edens (1.96 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 Edens?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Edens at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.