2000
#7,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Eder
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,094 Americans carry the last name Eder. That puts it at #8,814 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,721 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eder 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
4.1K
1 in 83,721
Census rank
#8,814
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,570 bearers of the surname Eder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8814th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eder, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eder
The surname EDER has its roots in Germany, originating as an occupational name for a vinedresser or someone who tended to vines and grapes. It is derived from the Old High German word "eit," meaning "vineyard." This name first appeared in records during the late 12th century in the regions of Bavaria and Württemberg.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Dietrich Eder, a monk who lived in the town of Weingarten in the late 13th century. He was renowned for his expertise in cultivating and maintaining the monastery's vineyards. The name is also found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Campidunensis, a 14th-century manuscript from the Kempten Abbey in Bavaria, which records land transactions and property ownership.
During the 16th century, the EDER surname was particularly prevalent in the town of Esslingen, near Stuttgart. Here, the name is linked to the Eder family, who were prominent winemakers and landowners. Notable members include Hans Eder (1490-1567), a respected vintner, and his son, Philipp Eder (1525-1593), who served as the mayor of Esslingen.
In the 17th century, the EDER name spread to other regions of Germany, including Saxony and Thuringia. One notable bearer was Johann Georg Eder (1647-1724), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. He was a prolific writer and published numerous works on theology and philosophy.
Another prominent figure was Johann Philipp Eder (1703-1759), a German composer and organist from Bamberg. He composed several operas, oratorios, and instrumental works, and was highly regarded in his time for his contributions to church music.
Throughout history, the EDER surname has been associated with viticulture and winemaking, reflecting its occupational origins. While the name has spread to various parts of the world, its roots can be traced back to the vineyards of southern Germany, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eder
Among Census respondents with the surname Eder, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Eder 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 Eder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 3,081
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 132
- Two or more races3.7% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 74
- Black or African American0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eder
Eder 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
#8,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,847
-2 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 589 places
2020
#8,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,570
-277 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 252 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,973 | 3,849 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,562 | 3,847 | 1.30 | -2 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 589 places |
| 2020 | #8,814 | 3,570 | 1.19 | -277 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 252 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 Eder 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 | #8,562 | #8,814 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,847 | 3,570 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.19 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eder bearers went from 3,847 to 3,570 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 252 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,562 to #8,814.
FAQ
Eder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eder?
Name Census estimates that about 4,094 living Americans carry the surname Eder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,721 residents.
How common is Eder?
Eder ranks #8,814 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,570 people with the surname Eder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Eder.
Has Eder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eder went from 3,847 recorded bearers to 3,570. That is a decrease of 277 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,562 to #8,814.
What does the Census say about the background of Eder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eder, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (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 Eder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (3,081 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%), Hispanic (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 Eder (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 Eder mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with livestock. 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 Eder (1.19 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 share the surname Eder?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.