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

Eigner, 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 Eigner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eigner in America

Eigner is the 48530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eigner surname appeared 435 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 Eigner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eigner 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 Eigner

The surname Eigner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "eigen," meaning "own" or "proper." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was self-reliant or independent, or possibly as an occupational name for a landowner or farmer who worked their own land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest mentions is found in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a "Heinricus Eigner" is listed as a resident in 1291.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Eygner," "Eigener," and "Eigner," in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One notable individual from this period was Hans Eigner, a merchant and burgher of Nuremberg, who lived from around 1350 to 1420.

The 15th century saw the spread of the name to other parts of Europe, with records showing individuals bearing the name in Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as the Netherlands. A notable figure from this time was Peter Eigner, a scholar and theologian from Ingolstadt, Bavaria, who lived from 1460 to 1525.

In the 16th century, the name continued to be prevalent in Germany, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. Among them was Johann Eigner, a Lutheran reformer and theologian from Saxony, who lived from 1520 to 1588.

The 17th century saw the name spread further across Europe, with records showing individuals named Eigner in regions such as Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) and Poland. One notable figure from this period was Maria Eigner, a Bavarian nun and mystic who lived from 1628 to 1705.

As the centuries progressed, the name Eigner continued to be found throughout Germany and neighboring regions, with individuals bearing the surname playing various roles in society, from farmers and artisans to scholars and professionals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eigner

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

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

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

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