2000
#9,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Egger
An occupational surname referring to someone who harrows fields or an egg seller or producer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,525 Americans carry the last name Egger. That puts it at #10,011 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Egger 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
3.5K
1 in 97,235
Census rank
#10,011
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,074 bearers of the surname Egger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10011th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Egger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Egger
The surname Egger has its origins in Germany, emerging sometime in the late Middle Ages. The name likely derived from the German word "egge," which referred to a harrow, a tool used for breaking up and leveling soil in preparation for planting. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the Egger name may have been farmers or agricultural workers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Egger surname appears in the 14th century Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from Bavaria. The name is mentioned in reference to a landowner named Heinrich Egger, who lived in the town of Landshut around the year 1350.
In the 16th century, the Egger name can be found in various records from the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. Notably, a man named Hans Egger (c. 1520-1590) was a respected blacksmith and metalworker in the city of Leipzig during this time.
As the Egger family spread across Germany and neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Eger, Eggert, and Eggers. In the 17th century, a prominent figure with this name was Johann Egger (1637-1711), a Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Egger surname can be traced to various parts of the German-speaking world, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual was Franz Egger (1765-1835), an Austrian painter and engraver who specialized in portraits and religious works.
Another significant figure was Karl Egger (1826-1915), a Swiss mountaineer and guide who made numerous ascents in the Alps and is credited with establishing several popular climbing routes in the region.
Over the centuries, the Egger name has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse paths taken by families bearing this surname. From its agricultural roots to its presence in trades, academia, and the arts, the name Egger has left its mark on the history and culture of German-speaking communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Egger
Among Census respondents with the surname Egger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Egger 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 Egger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,788
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 132
- Two or more races3.4% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Egger
Egger 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
#9,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,334
+44 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 605 places
2020
#10,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,074
-260 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,123 | 3,290 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,728 | 3,334 | 1.13 | +44 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 605 places |
| 2020 | #10,011 | 3,074 | 1.03 | -260 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 283 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 Egger 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 | #9,728 | #10,011 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,334 | 3,074 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.03 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Egger bearers went from 3,334 to 3,074 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,728 to #10,011.
FAQ
Egger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Egger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,525 living Americans carry the surname Egger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,235 residents.
How common is Egger?
Egger ranks #10,011 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,074 people with the surname Egger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,525), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Egger.
Has Egger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Egger went from 3,334 recorded bearers to 3,074. That is a decrease of 260 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,728 to #10,011.
What does the Census say about the background of Egger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Egger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Egger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Egger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Egger (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 Egger mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who harrows fields or an egg seller or producer. 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 Egger (1.03 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 Egger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.