2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eishen
A Germanic surname derived from a place name containing the elements "eis" (iron) and "henne" (rooster), possibly indicating an association with iron mining or metalworking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Eishen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eishen 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Eishen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eishen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eishen
The surname "EISHEN" is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Austria. It is thought to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old High German word "eisen," which means "iron," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been blacksmiths, ironworkers, or individuals involved in the iron trade.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname "EISHEN" can be found in the Bavarian town records from the 1400s. These records mention individuals with the surname "Eisenherr," which is believed to be an earlier variation of "EISHEN." The name is thought to have evolved over time through linguistic changes and regional dialects.
In the 16th century, there are records of an individual named Johann Eishen, a prominent merchant from Augsburg, Germany, who lived from 1510 to 1582. He is noted for his successful trading endeavors and his contributions to the local economy.
During the 17th century, the "EISHEN" surname made its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. One notable figure from this period is Hans Eishen, a Swiss watchmaker born in 1635 in Bern. He is credited with introducing several innovations in watchmaking techniques and his work was highly regarded among his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the "EISHEN" surname was Wilhelm Eishen, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1810 to 1884. He was known for his works exploring the relationship between science and religion, and his ideas influenced subsequent thinkers in the field of philosophical inquiry.
Another significant individual with the "EISHEN" surname was Margarethe Eishen, a German artist and painter who lived from 1865 to 1942. She was renowned for her landscapes and portraits, and her works were featured in several prestigious exhibitions during her lifetime.
The surname "EISHEN" has also been found in historical records and documents from other parts of Europe, including France, England, and Italy, suggesting that individuals with this surname may have migrated to these regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eishen
Among Census respondents with the surname Eishen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eishen 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 Eishen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eishen
Eishen 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,961 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-19 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,961 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 16,855 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 Eishen 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 | #137,327 | #154,182 | -12.3% |
| Count | 122 | 103 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eishen bearers went from 122 to 103 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 16,855 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,182.
FAQ
Eishen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eishen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Eishen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Eishen?
Eishen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Eishen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Eishen.
Has Eishen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eishen went from 122 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Eishen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eishen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Eishen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eishen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Eishen (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 Eishen mean?
A Germanic surname derived from a place name containing the elements "eis" (iron) and "henne" (rooster), possibly indicating an association with iron mining or metalworking. 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 Eishen (0.03 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 share the surname Eishen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.