2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Eitreim
A locational surname originating from a Norwegian farm name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Eitreim. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eitreim 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Eitreim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eitreim, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eitreim
The surname EITREIM is believed to have originated in Norway during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is likely derived from a combination of Old Norse words, possibly related to a place name or a descriptive nickname. The first part, "Eit," may have come from the word "eitr," meaning poison or venom, while "reim" could be a variation of the word "remma," meaning a strap or thong.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EITREIM can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents, dating back to the late 13th century. In this document, a person named Thorstein Eitreim is mentioned as a witness in a land transaction in the region of Trøndelag.
During the Viking Age, EITREIM may have been associated with a particular family or clan from the coastal areas of western Norway, where seafaring and fishing were prominent occupations. Some historians speculate that the name could have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone skilled in using poisonous substances for fishing or hunting.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Olav Eitreim (c. 1520-1585) was a respected farmer and landowner in the Hardanger region of western Norway. He is mentioned in local records as having played a role in mediating disputes between neighboring farmers over land boundaries.
Another individual of note was Ingrid Eitreim (c. 1650-1732), a respected midwife and healer in the Møre og Romsdal region of western Norway. Her knowledge of medicinal herbs and traditional remedies was widely sought after in her community.
During the 18th century, the EITREIM surname appeared in church records and census documents in the Stavanger region of southwestern Norway. One notable bearer of the name was Hans Eitreim (1735-1812), a prosperous merchant and ship owner who traded goods between Norway and the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Nils Eitreim (1825-1898) was a respected teacher and school administrator in the Trondheim area of central Norway. He played a significant role in promoting education and literacy in rural communities.
As the centuries passed, the surname EITREIM spread to other parts of Norway and beyond, carried by individuals who migrated or established new settlements. While the precise origins of the name remain shrouded in mystery, it has left a lasting legacy as a distinctly Norwegian surname with a rich historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eitreim
Among Census respondents with the surname Eitreim, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Eitreim 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 Eitreim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 119
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eitreim
Eitreim 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+13 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,032 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-16 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,023 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,032 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 16,023 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 Eitreim 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 | #126,765 | #142,788 | -12.6% |
| Count | 135 | 119 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eitreim bearers went from 135 to 119 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 16,023 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #142,788.
FAQ
Eitreim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eitreim?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Eitreim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Eitreim?
Eitreim ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Eitreim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Eitreim.
Has Eitreim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eitreim went from 135 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Eitreim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eitreim, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Eitreim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eitreim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Eitreim (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 Eitreim mean?
A locational surname originating from a Norwegian farm name. 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 Eitreim (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 many people are called Eitreim?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Eitreim, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.