Find out how popular the last name Ehrhart is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ehrhart.

Ehrhart, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ehrhart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ehrhart in America

Ehrhart is the 14893rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ehrhart surname appeared 1,987 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ehrhart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ehrhart to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ehrhart

The surname EHRHART originated in Germany, emerging sometime during the Middle Ages between the 5th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old German words "era" meaning honor and "hart" meaning hardy or brave. Together, the name translates to "honorable and brave."

The name was initially concentrated in the southern German regions, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Similar spellings from this era include Ehrhardt, Erhart, and Erhard. The name is believed to have first appeared in written records in the 13th century, though the earliest known reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae from 1268, mentioning an individual named Erhard von Ehrenberg.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Hans Ehrhart, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in Augsburg, Bavaria, between 1490 and 1564. His wealth and influence allowed him to become a patron of the arts, commissioning works from renowned artists of the time.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in various European records, including the Onomastikon Saxonicum, a register of Saxon names from 1589, which listed several Ehrhart families. Notably, Johannes Ehrhart, born in 1652 in Saxony, was a respected botanist and author, publishing works on plant taxonomy and classification.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Ehrhart, a German naturalist and botanist born in 1742, made significant contributions to the study of plant life. His extensive collections and publications on flora earned him recognition among the scientific community of his time.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Ehrhart, a German theologian and philosopher born in 1776. He taught at the University of Duisburg and wrote extensively on ethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion, leaving a lasting impact on German intellectual thought.

Throughout history, the EHRHART surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and bankers to scholars and naturalists. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ehrhart

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ehrhart.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ehrhart was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ehrhart has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ehrhart was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ehrhart, please contact us.

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