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

Eig, 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 Eig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eig in America

Eig is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eig surname appeared 147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Eig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eig 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 Eig

The surname "Eig" is believed to have originated in Germany, where it can be traced back to the early 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "eigan," which means "own" or "possess." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who owned a significant amount of land or property.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hanns Eig was mentioned as a landowner in the year 1418. The name also appears in various other medieval documents from the region, such as tax records and property deeds.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Eig began to spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. This was likely due to the migration of families seeking new opportunities or fleeing religious persecution.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Eig was Johann Georg Eig (1697-1768), a respected theologian and author from the city of Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. His works on moral philosophy and Christian ethics were widely read and influential during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual with the surname Eig was Carl Gustav Eig (1812-1894), a German-born landscape painter who spent much of his career in Norway. His depictions of Norwegian fjords and mountain scenery earned him critical acclaim and helped establish a distinct style of Nordic landscape painting.

In the 19th century, the name Eig can be found in various records from the German states and provinces, including birth, marriage, and death registers. Some of the places where the name was particularly prevalent included the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg.

As for place names potentially related to the surname Eig, there is a small village called Eigen in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may share a similar linguistic root. Additionally, the name "Eigenhausen" appears as a locality in several parts of Germany, possibly referring to a settlement owned or possessed by an individual or family with the name Eig.

It's worth noting that the spelling "Eig" is relatively uncommon, and variations such as "Eich," "Eike," or "Eick" are more frequently encountered. However, these names may share a common origin and meaning with the surname "Eig."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eig

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

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 Eig 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 Eig 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 Eig was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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