2000
#8,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,359
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Edinger
A German occupational surname for someone who lived at the corner of a street or worked as an innkeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,406 Americans carry the last name Edinger. That puts it at #10,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,633 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Edinger 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
3.4K
1 in 100,633
Census rank
#10,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,970 bearers of the surname Edinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Edinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Edinger
The surname Edinger originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "Edingen," which referred to a specific place or region. This place name likely evolved from an even older Germanic word, possibly relating to a prominent local landowner or chieftain.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Edinger can be found in the German town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to the 13th century. These records mention an individual named Hans Edinger, a skilled craftsman and respected member of the local guild.
As the Edinger family grew and dispersed across various regions of Germany, the name underwent slight spelling variations, such as Edinger, Edingger, and Edinggher. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes' interpretations.
In the 16th century, the Edinger name appeared in the annals of the city of Nuremberg, where Johannes Edinger (1499-1567) was a renowned scholar and theologian. His contributions to the Protestant Reformation earned him recognition throughout Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the Edinger surname was Wilhelm Edinger (1835-1918), a German neuroanatomist and neurologist. He made significant contributions to the study of the brain and nervous system, and his work is still referenced in modern neuroscience.
During the 18th century, the Edinger family left an indelible mark in the field of music. Johann Gottfried Edinger (1722-1790) was a celebrated composer and organist in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.
The surname Edinger can also be traced back to the picturesque town of Edingen-Neckarhausen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This town's name bears a striking resemblance to the surname, suggesting a possible connection.
As people migrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the Edinger name spread across various regions and countries. Notable individuals with this surname include Karl Edinger (1896-1962), a German-American artist and illustrator, and Ludwig Edinger (1855-1918), a German physician and neuroanatomist who made significant contributions to the study of the brain's structure and function.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Edinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Edinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Edinger 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 Edinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 2,775
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 90
- Two or more races2.7% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Edinger
Edinger 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
#9,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,459
+100 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 448 places
2020
#10,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,970
-489 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 919 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,951 | 3,359 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,399 | 3,459 | 1.17 | +100 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 448 places |
| 2020 | #10,318 | 2,970 | 0.99 | -489 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 919 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 Edinger 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 | #9,399 | #10,318 | -9.8% |
| Count | 3,459 | 2,970 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 0.99 | -15.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Edinger bearers went from 3,459 to 2,970 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 919 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,399 to #10,318.
FAQ
Edinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Edinger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,406 living Americans carry the surname Edinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,633 residents.
How common is Edinger?
Edinger ranks #10,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,970 people with the surname Edinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Edinger.
Has Edinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Edinger went from 3,459 recorded bearers to 2,970. That is a decrease of 489 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,399 to #10,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Edinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Edinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Edinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,775 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Edinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Edinger (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 Edinger mean?
A German occupational surname for someone who lived at the corner of a street or worked as an innkeeper. 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 Edinger (0.99 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 Americans have the surname Edinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.