2000
#4,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Eggers
An occupational surname for a harrow maker or someone who tills soil with an agricultural tool called an egge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,548 Americans carry the last name Eggers. That puts it at #4,617 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eggers 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
8.5K
1 in 40,098
Census rank
#4,617
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,454 bearers of the surname Eggers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4617th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eggers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eggers
The surname Eggers originated in Germany, with records dating back to the late Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old German word "egge," which means "harrow" or "rake." This suggests that the name was likely initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a harrow maker or a farmer who used a harrow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany, from the 14th century. In these records, the name appears as "Eggheres" and "Egghere," indicating the evolution of the spelling over time.
During the 15th century, the name spread across various regions of Germany, including Brandenburg, Saxony, and Westphalia. This was likely due to the migration of people seeking new opportunities or fleeing conflicts.
In the 16th century, the Eggers surname appeared in several historical documents, such as the Wappenbuch (book of coats of arms) of Siebmacher, a renowned heraldic author from Nuremberg. This suggests that some Eggers families had achieved a certain level of social status and recognition.
One notable figure with the surname Eggers was Johann Eggers, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1635 to 1711. He was known for his religious and allegorical works, which can be found in churches and museums across Germany.
Another notable person was Johann Jakob Eggers, a German theologian and educator who lived from 1701 to 1772. He served as a rector at the University of Kiel and published several works on theology and education.
In the 19th century, the Eggers surname gained prominence in the literary world with Karl Wilhelm Eggers, a German novelist and poet who lived from 1809 to 1857. His works often explored themes of nature and rural life.
During the same period, Christoph Eggers, a German philologist and educator (1802-1875), made significant contributions to the study of classical languages and literature.
Furthermore, in the 20th century, Viktor Eggers, a German historian and archaeologist (1892-1966), conducted extensive research on the Viking age and the early medieval history of Scandinavia.
As the name spread and evolved over centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Egger, Eggar, and Eggert, reflecting regional differences and influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the occupation of harrow making or farming.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eggers
Among Census respondents with the surname Eggers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Eggers 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 Eggers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 6,922
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 223
- Two or more races2.6% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 62
- Black or African American0.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eggers
Eggers 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
#4,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,921
+26 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 325 places
2020
#4,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,454
-467 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.49
Rank movement Down 138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,154 | 7,895 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,479 | 7,921 | 2.69 | +26 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 325 places |
| 2020 | #4,617 | 7,454 | 2.49 | -467 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 138 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 Eggers 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 | #4,479 | #4,617 | -3.1% |
| Count | 7,921 | 7,454 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.69 | 2.49 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eggers bearers went from 7,921 to 7,454 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 138 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,479 to #4,617.
FAQ
Eggers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eggers?
Name Census estimates that about 8,548 living Americans carry the surname Eggers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,098 residents.
How common is Eggers?
Eggers ranks #4,617 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.49 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 7,454 people with the surname Eggers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,548), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.49 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 Eggers.
Has Eggers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eggers went from 7,921 recorded bearers to 7,454. That is a decrease of 467 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,479 to #4,617.
What does the Census say about the background of Eggers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eggers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Eggers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (6,922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eggers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Eggers (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 Eggers mean?
An occupational surname for a harrow maker or someone who tills soil with an agricultural tool called an egge. 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 Eggers (2.49 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 common is the surname Eggers?
Want to know how many people have the surname Eggers? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.