2000
#4,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,442
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Ehlers
A German and Danish habitational surname derived from places named Ehler, likely meaning "alder tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,361 Americans carry the last name Ehlers. That puts it at #4,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,994 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ehlers 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
8.4K
1 in 40,994
Census rank
#4,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,291 bearers of the surname Ehlers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehlers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ehlers
The surname Ehlers originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "ehir," which means "honor" or "dignity." The name likely referred to someone who held a respected position or was considered an honorable person within their community.
The earliest known record of the Ehlers name dates back to the 13th century in the region of Lower Saxony, where it was commonly found in various towns and villages. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Ehlers, Ehler, and Eler.
In the 14th century, the name Ehlers appeared in several historical documents, such as tax records and land deeds, indicating that the family had established itself as landowners and prominent citizens in their respective towns.
One notable figure bearing the Ehlers name was Johann Ehlers, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1583 to 1654. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.
Another significant individual was Friedrich Ehlers, a German architect born in 1788, who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities during the early 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Ehlers family produced several influential figures in the fields of science and medicine. Carl Ehlers, born in 1835, was a renowned zoologist and marine biologist who made significant contributions to the study of polychaete worms.
Another notable Ehlers was Gustav Ehlers, a German neurologist born in 1864, who conducted groundbreaking research on the nervous system and neurological disorders.
The Ehlers name can also be found in various place names throughout Germany, such as Ehlersdorf, a small village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and Ehlersberg, a hill located near the city of Marburg.
While the Ehlers surname has spread worldwide due to emigration, it remains most prevalent in Germany and neighboring regions, where it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ehlers
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehlers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ehlers 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 Ehlers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 6,766
- Two or more races3.1% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 200
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
- Black or African American0.5% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ehlers
Ehlers 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
#4,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,524
+82 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 2.55
Rank movement Down 309 places
2020
#4,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,291
-233 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.44
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,405 | 7,442 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,714 | 7,524 | 2.55 | +82 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 309 places |
| 2020 | #4,711 | 7,291 | 2.44 | -233 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 3 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 Ehlers 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 | #4,714 | #4,711 | 0.1% |
| Count | 7,524 | 7,291 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.55 | 2.44 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ehlers bearers went from 7,524 to 7,291 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,714 to #4,711.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ehlers
FAQ
Ehlers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ehlers?
Name Census estimates that about 8,361 living Americans carry the surname Ehlers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,994 residents.
How common is Ehlers?
Ehlers ranks #4,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.44 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 7,291 people with the surname Ehlers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,361), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.44 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 Ehlers.
Has Ehlers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ehlers went from 7,524 recorded bearers to 7,291. That is a decrease of 233 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,714 to #4,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Ehlers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehlers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (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 Ehlers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (6,766 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ehlers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (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 Ehlers (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 Ehlers mean?
A German and Danish habitational surname derived from places named Ehler, likely meaning "alder tree." 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 Ehlers (2.44 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 Ehlers?
If you just want to know how many people are called Ehlers, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.