2000
#6,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,868
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Eicher
A German occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked with oak trees or wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,446 Americans carry the last name Eicher. That puts it at #5,195 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,032 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eicher 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
7.4K
1 in 46,032
Census rank
#5,195
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,493 bearers of the surname Eicher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5195th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eicher
The surname EICHER originated in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "eih," meaning oak tree, suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near an oak tree or an oak forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the EICHER surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the Saxon region of Germany, where it was mentioned as "Eychir" in 1228.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of Germany, such as the town of Augsburg, where a certain Johannes Eicher was documented in 1347.
During the 16th century, the surname EICHER gained prominence in the region of Württemberg, located in southwestern Germany. Historical records from this period mention notable figures like Hans Eicher (1470-1528), a renowned blacksmith and metalworker from the city of Esslingen.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Eicher, Eychir, Eychor, and Eichert. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciation.
In the 17th century, the EICHER surname was associated with the town of Öhringen in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg. One of the most prominent figures from this era was Johann Eicher (1629-1688), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a court preacher in Stuttgart.
Another notable figure was Johann Georg Eicher (1670-1730), a German composer and organist who worked in various churches across Germany, including the Marktkirche in Wiesbaden.
As the name spread beyond Germany, it gained recognition in other parts of Europe. One example is Johann Eicher (1762-1815), an Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, including the Palais Rasumofsky.
In the 19th century, the EICHER surname was carried to the United States by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Michael Eicher (1787-1857), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent farmer and landowner.
Overall, the surname EICHER has a rich history rooted in German origins, with numerous notable figures across various fields contributing to its legacy over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eicher
Among Census respondents with the surname Eicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eicher 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 Eicher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 6,226
- Two or more races2.0% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
- Black or African American0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eicher
Eicher 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
#5,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,997
+1,129 bearers (+23.2%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Up 658 places
2020
#5,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,493
+496 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Up 581 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,434 | 4,868 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,776 | 5,997 | 2.03 | +1,129 bearers (+23.2%) | Up 658 places |
| 2020 | #5,195 | 6,493 | 2.17 | +496 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 581 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 Eicher 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 | #5,776 | #5,195 | 10.1% |
| Count | 5,997 | 6,493 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.03 | 2.17 | 7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eicher bearers went from 5,997 to 6,493 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 581 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,776 to #5,195.
FAQ
Eicher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eicher?
Name Census estimates that about 7,446 living Americans carry the surname Eicher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,032 residents.
How common is Eicher?
Eicher ranks #5,195 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 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 6,493 people with the surname Eicher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 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 Eicher.
Has Eicher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eicher went from 5,997 recorded bearers to 6,493. That is an increase of 496 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,776 to #5,195.
What does the Census say about the background of Eicher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eicher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Eicher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (6,226 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eicher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Eicher (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 Eicher mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked with oak trees or wood. 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 Eicher (2.17 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 Americans have the surname Eicher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.