2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ehrens
A surname of German origin, referring to honor or respect.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Ehrens. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ehrens 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Ehrens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ehrens
The surname EHRENS is of German origin, emerging in the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "ehren," meaning "to honor" or "to esteem." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who held positions of respect or carried out duties of honor within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the EHRENS surname can be traced back to the town of Köln (Cologne) in the Rhineland region of Germany. In a local church record from 1597, a certain Hans EHRENS is mentioned as a witness to a baptism ceremony. This provides evidence of the name's existence during the late Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Several EHRENS families are documented in town records and tax registers from this era, indicating their establishment as landowners or craftsmen.
The EHRENS surname is also found in historical records related to the German military. Johann EHRENS, born in 1732 in Nuremberg, served as a soldier in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). His bravery and loyalty earned him commendations from his superiors.
As the EHRENS name became more widespread, it evolved into various spellings and variations. In some regions of Germany, it was recorded as "Ehrens," "Erens," or "Ehrens." These differences often reflected local dialects and orthographic preferences.
One notable individual bearing the EHRENS surname was Karl EHRENS (1813-1892), a German philosopher and writer. Born in Mannheim, he authored several influential works on ethics and social philosophy, including "Die Ethik des Willens" (The Ethics of Will) published in 1874.
Another prominent figure was Margarethe EHRENS (1878-1968), a German artist known for her vibrant landscape paintings and etchings. She studied at the prestigious Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin and exhibited her works across Europe during the early 20th century.
In the realm of politics, Friedrich EHRENS (1901-1979) gained recognition as a member of the German Bundestag (federal parliament) from 1949 to 1965. He played a significant role in shaping post-war Germany's economic and social policies.
While the EHRENS surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. Nevertheless, its origins can be traced back to the honorable connotations of the German word "ehren," reflecting the respect and esteem once held by its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ehrens
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ehrens 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 Ehrens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ehrens
Ehrens 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,304 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,449 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,304 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 9,449 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 Ehrens 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 | #144,141 | #153,590 | -6.6% |
| Count | 115 | 104 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ehrens bearers went from 115 to 104 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 9,449 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #153,590.
FAQ
Ehrens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ehrens?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Ehrens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Ehrens?
Ehrens ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Ehrens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Ehrens.
Has Ehrens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ehrens went from 115 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Ehrens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrens, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ehrens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ehrens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ehrens (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 Ehrens mean?
A surname of German origin, referring to honor or respect. 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 Ehrens (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 common is the surname Ehrens?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Ehrens on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.