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

Edge, 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 Edge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Edge in America

Edge is the 3119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Edge surname appeared 11,556 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Edge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Edge 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 Edge

The surname Edge originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ecg," meaning "edge" or "ridge," which refers to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or edge of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edge appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Edgge" and "Egge," are mentioned in this historical document.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname Edge was concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. This geographic distribution is reflected in the presence of various place names incorporating the word "edge," such as Edge Hill in Warwickshire and Edgeley in Cheshire.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Roger de Egge was recorded as a landowner in the village of Edgeley, Cheshire. Another early bearer of the name was John Egge, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Edge gained prominence with individuals like Sir Thomas Edge (c. 1560-1624), who was a wealthy merchant and benefactor in London. He endowed a grammar school in his hometown of Olney, Buckinghamshire, which still bears his name today.

In the 17th century, the Edge family produced several notable figures, including Reverend John Edge (1593-1665), an English Presbyterian minister, and Ralph Edge (1609-1676), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.

Moving into the 18th century, Benjamin Edge (1720-1803) was a prominent British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The 19th century saw the rise of the industrialist and philanthropist Thomas Edge (1808-1888), who made his fortune in the textile industry and was a prominent figure in the city of Manchester.

Another notable bearer of the Edge surname was the poet and author Selwyn Edge (1868-1940), who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group and known for his literary works and critical essays.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Edge

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

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

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

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