2000
#8,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,481
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Eide
Derived from the Old Norse word "eiðr," meaning "isthmus," referring to someone who lived near a narrow strip of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,789 Americans carry the last name Eide. That puts it at #9,427 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,460 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eide 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
3.8K
1 in 90,460
Census rank
#9,427
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,304 bearers of the surname Eide in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9427th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eide, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eide
The surname EIDE has its origins in Norway, traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "eið," which means an isthmus or a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name or location where the earliest bearers of the name resided.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname EIDE can be found in the "Diplomatarium Norvegicum," a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. This reference suggests that the name was already well-established in Norway by that time.
In the 14th century, a man named Erling Eide is mentioned in the "Frostating Law," an ancient Norwegian legal code. This indicates that the surname EIDE was present in the region of Trøndelag, where the Frostating Law held jurisdiction.
During the 15th century, the EIDE surname appeared in various records from the western regions of Norway, particularly in the areas around Bergen and Stavanger. This suggests that the name had spread from its initial origins and was becoming more widespread across the country.
One notable bearer of the EIDE surname was Nils Eide, a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who lived from 1663 to 1727. He played a significant role in the development of the Norwegian shipping industry and was involved in trade with several European countries.
Another prominent figure with the EIDE surname was Hans Eide, a Norwegian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Norway from 1908 to 1910. He was born in 1849 and played a crucial role in the early years of Norway's independence.
In the 19th century, the EIDE surname was also found in various place names across Norway, such as Eideborg, Eidebakken, and Eideskogen, further reinforcing the connection between the name and geographical locations.
A notable literary figure with the EIDE surname was Petter Eide, a Norwegian novelist and playwright born in 1883. He was known for his works that explored themes of rural life and societal changes in Norway during the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the EIDE surname has maintained a strong presence in Norway, with its roots firmly embedded in the country's linguistic and geographical heritage. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through emigration, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Norwegian regions and the Old Norse language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eide
Among Census respondents with the surname Eide, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eide 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 Eide surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,998
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 119
- Two or more races3.3% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eide
Eide 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
#9,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,536
+55 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 526 places
2020
#9,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,304
-232 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,691 | 3,481 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,217 | 3,536 | 1.20 | +55 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 526 places |
| 2020 | #9,427 | 3,304 | 1.11 | -232 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 210 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 Eide 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 | #9,217 | #9,427 | -2.3% |
| Count | 3,536 | 3,304 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.11 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eide bearers went from 3,536 to 3,304 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 210 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,217 to #9,427.
FAQ
Eide surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eide?
Name Census estimates that about 3,789 living Americans carry the surname Eide. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,460 residents.
How common is Eide?
Eide ranks #9,427 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,304 people with the surname Eide. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,789), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Eide.
Has Eide become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eide went from 3,536 recorded bearers to 3,304. That is a decrease of 232 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,217 to #9,427.
What does the Census say about the background of Eide?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eide, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eide in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eide appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eide (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 Eide mean?
Derived from the Old Norse word "eiðr," meaning "isthmus," referring to someone who lived near a narrow strip of land. 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 Eide (1.11 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 Eide?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Eide at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.