2000
#9,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Eisele
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "isel," meaning iron, referring to an ironworker or smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,572 Americans carry the last name Eisele. That puts it at #9,893 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eisele 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
3.6K
1 in 95,956
Census rank
#9,893
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,115 bearers of the surname Eisele in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9893rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eisele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eisele
The surname EISELE is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is derived from the Old German word "isan," which means "iron," suggesting a possible connection to blacksmithing or metalworking professions.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name was often spelled as "Eisel," "Eissele," or "Eiselen." These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time. The name is also thought to have some association with certain place names, such as Eisenhausen or Eisenbach, which contain the root "eisen" (iron).
One of the earliest historical references to the EISELE surname can be found in the Nuremberg city records from the 15th century. These documents mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Hans Eisele and Kunz Eissele. Additionally, the name appears in various medieval manuscripts and chronicles, indicating its presence across different regions of Germany.
Among the notable individuals with the EISELE surname throughout history are:
1. Johann Philipp Eisele (1663-1721), a German composer and organist from Saxony.
2. Johann Friedrich Eisele (1726-1802), a German theologian and author from Württemberg.
3. Theodor Eisele (1820-1902), a German painter and art professor from Baden-Württemberg.
4. Gustav Eisele (1859-1947), a German-American architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Cincinnati, Ohio.
5. Hans Eisele (1900-1967), a German film actor and director active during the Weimar Republic and Nazi eras.
These examples highlight the diversity of individuals who have carried the EISELE surname throughout different periods and professions, from musicians and scholars to artists and filmmakers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eisele
Among Census respondents with the surname Eisele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Eisele 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 Eisele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 2,885
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 97
- Two or more races2.7% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eisele
Eisele 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
#10,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,220
-45 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 826 places
2020
#9,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,115
-105 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,187 | 3,265 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,013 | 3,220 | 1.09 | -45 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 826 places |
| 2020 | #9,893 | 3,115 | 1.04 | -105 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 120 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 Eisele 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 | #10,013 | #9,893 | 1.2% |
| Count | 3,220 | 3,115 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.04 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eisele bearers went from 3,220 to 3,115 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,013 to #9,893.
FAQ
Eisele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eisele?
Name Census estimates that about 3,572 living Americans carry the surname Eisele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,956 residents.
How common is Eisele?
Eisele ranks #9,893 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,115 people with the surname Eisele. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Eisele.
Has Eisele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eisele went from 3,220 recorded bearers to 3,115. That is a decrease of 105 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,013 to #9,893.
What does the Census say about the background of Eisele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eisele, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Eisele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eisele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Eisele (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 Eisele mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "isel," meaning iron, referring to an ironworker or smith. 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 Eisele (1.04 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 are called Eisele?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Eisele, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.