2000
#6,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Eldred
Old English surname derived from a personal name meaning "old and wise counsel" or "sage counsel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,919 Americans carry the last name Eldred. That puts it at #7,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,680 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eldred 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Eldred with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,680
Census rank
#7,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,290 bearers of the surname Eldred in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eldred, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eldred
The surname Eldred is of Anglo-Saxon origin, believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Ealdred, which is composed of the elements "eal" meaning "old" and "ræd" meaning "counsel" or "advice". This name was particularly popular among the Anglo-Saxons and was often bestowed upon individuals who were respected for their wisdom and experience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Eldred can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Eldred" and "Eldrede" in various counties, suggesting its widespread use during the Norman period.
The Eldred surname has a strong association with the county of Norfolk, where it is believed to have originated. Several place names in Norfolk, such as Eldred's Weald and Eldred's Lane, bear the name, indicating the presence of influential Eldred families in the area during the Middle Ages.
Notable individuals with the surname Eldred include John Eldred (c. 1552-1632), an English explorer and merchant who undertook voyages to the East Indies and wrote accounts of his travels. Another prominent figure was Sir John Eldred (1591-1654), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Eldred dates back to the 17th century. Samuel Eldred (1629-1689) was a prominent Quaker leader and early settler in New Jersey, who played a significant role in the establishment of the colony.
Other notable individuals with the surname Eldred include John Eldred (1836-1909), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, and Eben Eldred (1852-1925), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the American Bank Note Company and made significant contributions to educational institutions in his home state of New York.
Throughout its history, the surname Eldred has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from exploration and colonization to politics, law, and business. Despite its Anglo-Saxon origins, the name has been widely dispersed across different regions and countries, reflecting the migrations and cultural exchanges that have shaped human societies over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eldred
Among Census respondents with the surname Eldred, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Eldred 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 Eldred surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 3,858
- Two or more races4.6% · 199
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eldred
Eldred 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
#7,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,580
+71 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 402 places
2020
#7,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,290
-290 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,873 | 4,509 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,275 | 4,580 | 1.55 | +71 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 402 places |
| 2020 | #7,486 | 4,290 | 1.44 | -290 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 211 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 Eldred 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 | #7,275 | #7,486 | -2.9% |
| Count | 4,580 | 4,290 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.44 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eldred bearers went from 4,580 to 4,290 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 211 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,275 to #7,486.
FAQ
Eldred surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eldred?
Name Census estimates that about 4,919 living Americans carry the surname Eldred. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,680 residents.
How common is Eldred?
Eldred ranks #7,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 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 4,290 people with the surname Eldred. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,919), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 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 Eldred.
Has Eldred become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eldred went from 4,580 recorded bearers to 4,290. That is a decrease of 290 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,275 to #7,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Eldred?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eldred, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Eldred in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,858 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eldred appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Eldred (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 Eldred mean?
Old English surname derived from a personal name meaning "old and wise counsel" or "sage counsel." 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 Eldred (1.44 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 have the surname Eldred?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.