2000
#16,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,571
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Egner
A Germanic surname derived from a personal name meaning "sword fighter" or "spear carrier".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,749 Americans carry the last name Egner. That puts it at #18,033 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 195,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Egner 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
1.7K
1 in 195,972
Census rank
#18,033
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,525 bearers of the surname Egner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18033rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Egner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Egner
The surname EGNER is of German origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who worked as a harrow maker or a ploughman. The name is derived from the Old High German word "egga," which means "to harrow or to plow."
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Egener" or "Egner" in various medieval German records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known references to the name was found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where a certain "Heinricus Egener" was mentioned.
The surname EGNER is particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it first gained popularity. It is also found in other parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland, where German-speaking communities were present.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Egner (c. 1480–1552), a German humanist and scholar who served as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt. Another was Johann Egner (1590–1642), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination with roots in the Czech lands. Johannes Egner (1614–1677) was a prominent Moravian bishop and leader during this period.
The 18th century saw the birth of Johann Egner (1726–1796), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural works. He worked in various courts and cities across Germany and Austria.
In the 19th century, Johann Egner (1813–1888) was a German philologist and educator who made significant contributions to the study of the German language and literature. He served as a professor at the University of Berlin.
While the surname EGNER has a rich history in German-speaking regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the origins of the name can be traced back to its occupational roots in medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Egner
Among Census respondents with the surname Egner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Egner 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 Egner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 1,432
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 41
- Two or more races2.4% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 8
- Black or African American0.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Egner
Egner 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
#17,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,584
+13 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 964 places
2020
#18,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,525
-59 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,745 | 1,571 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,709 | 1,584 | 0.54 | +13 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 964 places |
| 2020 | #18,033 | 1,525 | 0.51 | -59 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 324 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 Egner 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 | #17,709 | #18,033 | -1.8% |
| Count | 1,584 | 1,525 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.51 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Egner bearers went from 1,584 to 1,525 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 324 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,709 to #18,033.
FAQ
Egner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Egner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,749 living Americans carry the surname Egner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 195,972 residents.
How common is Egner?
Egner ranks #18,033 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 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 1,525 people with the surname Egner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,749), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 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 Egner.
Has Egner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Egner went from 1,584 recorded bearers to 1,525. That is a decrease of 59 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,709 to #18,033.
What does the Census say about the background of Egner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Egner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Egner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (1,432 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Egner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Egner (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 Egner mean?
A Germanic surname derived from a personal name meaning "sword fighter" or "spear carrier". 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 Egner (0.51 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 are called Egner?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Egner? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.