2000
#13,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Eich
Derived from the German word "eiche" meaning "oak tree," likely referring to someone who lived near oak trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,275 Americans carry the last name Eich. That puts it at #14,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eich 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
2.3K
1 in 150,661
Census rank
#14,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,984 bearers of the surname Eich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eich
The surname Eich is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "eich" meaning "oak tree" or "oak wood." This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or oak forest.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Eich can be found in medieval German records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Johannes Eich, a merchant who lived in Cologne, Germany in the late 1200s.
In the 14th century, the name Eich appeared in various forms, such as Eych, Eiche, and Eycke, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual from this period was Heinrich Eych, a respected scholar and theologian who lived in Erfurt, Germany from 1310 to 1378.
During the Renaissance era, the Eich surname continued to be prominent in German-speaking regions. In the 16th century, a family of skilled artisans and craftsmen bearing the name Eich lived in the city of Nuremberg, known for their intricate woodcarvings and furniture designs.
In the 17th century, the Eich name appeared in various historical records across Germany, including birth, marriage, and death registers. One prominent figure from this time was Johann Eich, a renowned composer and organist who lived in Leipzig from 1620 to 1688.
As the Eich family spread across Europe in the following centuries, the name took on various spellings and forms, such as Eiche, Eyk, and Eijk, particularly in the Netherlands and Belgium. One notable individual from this period was the Dutch painter Jan Eyk, who lived from 1685 to 1749 and was known for his landscapes and portrait paintings.
In the 19th century, the Eich surname gained further recognition with individuals like Friedrich Eich, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1801 to 1876, and Carl Eich, a pioneering German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 1800s.
Over the centuries, the Eich surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, musicians, and professionals, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diverse backgrounds of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eich
Among Census respondents with the surname Eich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Eich 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 Eich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,859
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 63
- Two or more races2.0% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eich
Eich 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
#14,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,033
-15 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,040 places
2020
#14,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,984
-49 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,596 | 2,048 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,636 | 2,033 | 0.69 | -15 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,040 places |
| 2020 | #14,465 | 1,984 | 0.66 | -49 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 171 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 Eich 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 | #14,636 | #14,465 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,033 | 1,984 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.66 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eich bearers went from 2,033 to 1,984 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 171 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,636 to #14,465.
FAQ
Eich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eich?
Name Census estimates that about 2,275 living Americans carry the surname Eich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,661 residents.
How common is Eich?
Eich ranks #14,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,984 people with the surname Eich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,275), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Eich.
Has Eich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eich went from 2,033 recorded bearers to 1,984. That is a decrease of 49 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,636 to #14,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Eich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Eich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,859 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Eich (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 Eich mean?
Derived from the German word "eiche" meaning "oak tree," likely referring to someone who lived near oak trees. 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 Eich (0.66 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 last name Eich?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Eich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.