2000
#10,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Ehrhardt
A German surname derived from a personal name meaning "brave, hardy, or stalwart."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,168 Americans carry the last name Ehrhardt. That puts it at #10,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ehrhardt 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
3.2K
1 in 108,193
Census rank
#10,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,763 bearers of the surname Ehrhardt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ehrhardt
The surname Ehrhardt originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "Erhard," which means "strong as a bear" or "brave bear." The name was initially a given name before evolving into a hereditary surname.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ehrhardt was prevalent in southern and central Germany, particularly in Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Corveyer Munstermatrikel, a manuscript from the late 12th century, which lists several individuals with the name Erhard or Erhart.
The Ehrhardt surname has been associated with notable historical figures throughout the centuries. One prominent example is Johann Ehrhardt, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1666 to 1715. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and is recognized for his contributions to the field of ethics.
Another notable figure is Christian Traugott Ehrhardt, a German jurist and statesman who lived from 1742 to 1815. He served as the Chief Minister of Saxony-Gotha and played a significant role in the governance of the duchy during the turbulent years of the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, Christian August Ehrhardt (1795-1873) was a German artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. He studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and was a member of the Saxon Academy of Arts.
The name Ehrhardt has also been associated with several place names in Germany. For instance, the town of Ehrhardt in Saxony-Anhalt is believed to have derived its name from the surname. Similarly, the village of Ehrhardtsberg in Thuringia may have been named after an individual with the surname Ehrhardt.
Among the earliest recorded examples of the name, one can find references to individuals named Erhard or Erhart in various medieval documents, such as charters, monastic records, and legal proceedings. These early records often provide insight into the occupations and social status of those bearing the name, ranging from peasants and artisans to noblemen and clergymen.
While the surname Ehrhardt has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events. Variations of the spelling, such as Erhardt, Erhart, and Erhard, can be found in various regions, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ehrhardt
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ehrhardt 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 Ehrhardt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,542
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 90
- Two or more races2.8% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 34
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ehrhardt
Ehrhardt 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
#11,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,874
-28 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 864 places
2020
#10,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,763
-111 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,196 | 2,902 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,060 | 2,874 | 0.97 | -28 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 864 places |
| 2020 | #10,993 | 2,763 | 0.92 | -111 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 67 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 Ehrhardt 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 | #11,060 | #10,993 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,874 | 2,763 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.92 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ehrhardt bearers went from 2,874 to 2,763 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,060 to #10,993.
FAQ
Ehrhardt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ehrhardt?
Name Census estimates that about 3,168 living Americans carry the surname Ehrhardt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,193 residents.
How common is Ehrhardt?
Ehrhardt ranks #10,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,763 people with the surname Ehrhardt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Ehrhardt.
Has Ehrhardt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ehrhardt went from 2,874 recorded bearers to 2,763. That is a decrease of 111 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,060 to #10,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Ehrhardt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ehrhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Ehrhardt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ehrhardt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Ehrhardt (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 Ehrhardt mean?
A German surname derived from a personal name meaning "brave, hardy, or stalwart." 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 Ehrhardt (0.92 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 have the surname Ehrhardt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.