2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eha
An Estonian surname derived from the placename "Eha" meaning "bright" or "sunshine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Eha. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eha 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Eha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eha, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eha
The surname EHA is of Estonian origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Estonia, particularly in the areas around Tallinn and the coastal towns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EHA can be found in the parish records of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tallinn, dating back to the late 1500s. The name is thought to have derived from an old Estonian word meaning "dawn" or "daybreak," possibly referring to someone who was an early riser or lived in a place where the sun rose early.
In the 17th century, the name EHA appeared in several historical documents, including the census records of the Swedish Empire, which controlled parts of Estonia at the time. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the region during this period.
One notable bearer of the surname EHA was Jüri Eha (1629-1690), a prominent Estonian merchant and ship owner who traded extensively with ports in the Baltic Sea region. His descendants continued to carry the name and contributed to its spread throughout Estonia and neighboring countries.
Another individual of note was Marta Eha (1772-1851), a renowned Estonian folk singer and storyteller. She is credited with preserving many traditional Estonian songs and tales, which were later documented by folklorists and researchers.
In the 19th century, the EHA surname appeared in records from the Russian Empire, which had gained control over Estonia. One such record mentions Andres Eha (1810-1878), a farmer and local leader in the village of Viljandi, who played a role in advocating for the rights of Estonian peasants.
Other notable individuals with the surname EHA include Kristjan Eha (1892-1964), an Estonian politician and diplomat who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 1930s, and Ilmar Eha (born 1937), a renowned Estonian artist and painter known for his landscape and abstract works.
While the surname EHA is not among the most common in Estonia today, it has a rich history and is deeply rooted in the country's cultural and linguistic heritage, dating back several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eha
Among Census respondents with the surname Eha, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Eha 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 Eha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 94
- Two or more races4.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eha
Eha 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,416 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-21 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 1,416 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 16,112 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 Eha 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 | #140,157 | #156,269 | -11.5% |
| Count | 119 | 98 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eha bearers went from 119 to 98 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 16,112 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #156,269.
FAQ
Eha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eha?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Eha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Eha?
Eha ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 98 people with the surname Eha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Eha.
Has Eha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eha went from 119 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Eha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eha, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Eha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Eha (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 Eha mean?
An Estonian surname derived from the placename "Eha" meaning "bright" or "sunshine". 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 Eha (0.03 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 Eha?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.