2000
#4,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Rare Last name
Enos
A biblical surname derived from the name of Adam and Eve's grandson, mentioned in the Book of Genesis.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,780 Americans carry the last name Enos. That puts it at #4,506 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,038 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Enos 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 Enos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 39,038
Census rank
#4,506
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,657 bearers of the surname Enos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4506th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Enos, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.2%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Enos
The surname ENOS has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew personal name "Enos," which means "man" or "mortal." This name was commonly used in medieval England, particularly among Jewish communities.
During the medieval period, the surname ENOS was found in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. It is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.
One of the earliest known references to the surname ENOS can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Yorkshire, where a John Enos is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Calendars of Wills in the Court of Husting, London, mention a Thomas Enos in 1349.
In the 15th century, the surname ENOS appeared in various forms, such as Ennos, Ennows, and Enose. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and spelling inconsistencies during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname ENOS throughout history include:
1. Roger Enos (c. 1390-1460), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Devon in 1419 and 1421.
2. John Enos (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, from 1598 to 1622.
3. James Enos (1633-1701), an English colonist who settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and was one of the early founders of the town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
4. Roger Enos (1764-1843), an American merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of Springfield, Illinois.
5. Abner Enos (1770-1853), an American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent businessman in Vermont.
Throughout its history, the surname ENOS has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Enos Green in Staffordshire and Enos Mill in Derbyshire, indicating the presence of families bearing this name in those regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Enos
Among Census respondents with the surname Enos, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.2%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Enos 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 Enos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 5,607
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.2% · 550
- Two or more races6.3% · 481
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 456
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.9% · 373
- Black or African American2.5% · 190
Timeline
Historical Census data for Enos
Enos 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
#4,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,097
+119 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#4,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,657
-440 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,114 | 7,978 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,392 | 8,097 | 2.74 | +119 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #4,506 | 7,657 | 2.56 | -440 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 114 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 Enos 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 | #4,392 | #4,506 | -2.6% |
| Count | 8,097 | 7,657 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.56 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Enos bearers went from 8,097 to 7,657 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,392 to #4,506.
FAQ
Enos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Enos?
Name Census estimates that about 8,780 living Americans carry the surname Enos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,038 residents.
How common is Enos?
Enos ranks #4,506 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,657 people with the surname Enos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,780), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Enos.
Has Enos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Enos went from 8,097 recorded bearers to 7,657. That is a decrease of 440 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,392 to #4,506.
What does the Census say about the background of Enos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Enos, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.2%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Enos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (5,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Enos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.2%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Enos (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 Enos mean?
A biblical surname derived from the name of Adam and Eve's grandson, mentioned in the Book of Genesis. 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 Enos (2.56 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 Enos?
Find out how many people have the surname Enos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.