2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eiskant
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an ice field or glacier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Eiskant. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eiskant 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Eiskant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eiskant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eiskant
The surname EISKANT has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "eiskant," which translates to "ice edge" or "ice border." This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned to someone who lived near a body of water that froze over in winter, or to someone whose occupation involved working on frozen bodies of water.
During the Middle Ages, many German surnames were derived from geographical features, occupations, or personal characteristics. The name EISKANT is likely to have been a locational surname, given to someone who resided near a frozen body of water or an area prone to icy conditions. It could also have been an occupational name for someone involved in activities related to ice, such as ice harvesting or transportation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EISKANT can be found in the parish records of the town of Lübeck, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention an individual named Hans EISKANT, who was a merchant and landowner in the area. Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann EISKANT (1612-1679), a Lutheran minister and theologian from Saxony.
In the 17th century, the EISKANT family expanded their presence across various regions of Germany, including Brandenburg, Pomerania, and Silesia. During this time, the name also appeared in various spellings, such as "Eiskandt," "Eiscandt," and "Eisskant," reflecting regional variations in dialect and pronunciation.
One of the most prominent figures in EISKANT history was Friedrich EISKANT (1767-1834), a German painter and engraver from Berlin. He was known for his landscape paintings and etchings, which captured the natural beauty of the German countryside. Another notable individual was Konrad EISKANT (1810-1891), a German engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the early steel industry in the Ruhr region.
In the 19th century, the EISKANT name also gained recognition in the field of music. Johann Gottfried EISKANT (1822-1898) was a renowned composer and organist from Saxony, known for his contributions to church music and organ compositions. Additionally, Karl EISKANT (1856-1927) was a renowned German violinist and conductor who performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States.
As with many German surnames, the name EISKANT gradually spread beyond the borders of Germany, carried by emigrants seeking new opportunities abroad. Today, descendants bearing the EISKANT surname can be found in various parts of the world, including North America, South America, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eiskant
Among Census respondents with the surname Eiskant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Eiskant 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 Eiskant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eiskant
Eiskant 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
+21 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,001 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 12,001 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 9,168 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 Eiskant 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 | #146,495 | -6.7% |
| Count | 122 | 114 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eiskant bearers went from 122 to 114 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 9,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #146,495.
FAQ
Eiskant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eiskant?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Eiskant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Eiskant?
Eiskant ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Eiskant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Eiskant.
Has Eiskant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eiskant went from 122 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Eiskant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eiskant, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Eiskant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eiskant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Eiskant (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 Eiskant mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an ice field or glacier. 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 Eiskant (0.04 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 common is the surname Eiskant?
If you just want to know how many people are called Eiskant, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.