2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eplee
A surname originating from Yorkshire, England, potentially derived from the Old Norse words "ey" and "leah" meaning island meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Eplee. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eplee 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Eplee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplee, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eplee
The surname Eplee originates from the Anglo-Saxon regions of England, where it first appeared in the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "æppel" and "leah," meaning "apple" and "meadow" respectively, suggesting that the name may have originated from a person living near an apple orchard or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions an "Elpleo" who held lands in the county of Berkshire.
During the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Eppeleye" and "Appeleigh," appeared in various records and charters throughout southern England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.
In the 14th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of "Eplee." One notable bearer of this name was John Eplee, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived from 1320 to 1395.
Another important figure was Sir William Eplee, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1335 and died in battle at the siege of Calais in 1347.
During the 16th century, the Eplee family was well-established in the county of Devon, where they owned estates and held positions of local importance. One notable member was Thomas Eplee (1525-1592), a respected magistrate and landowner in the village of Tiverton.
In the 17th century, the surname spread to other parts of England, and even across the Atlantic to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded Eplees in America was John Eplee, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Maryland.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Eplee name continued to be found in various parts of England and the United States, with individuals making their mark in various fields, including law, politics, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eplee
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplee, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eplee 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 Eplee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eplee
Eplee 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,418 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,590 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 13,418 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,590 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 Eplee 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 | #148,347 | #145,757 | 1.7% |
| Count | 111 | 115 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eplee bearers went from 111 to 115 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,590 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,757.
FAQ
Eplee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eplee?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Eplee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Eplee?
Eplee ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Eplee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Eplee.
Has Eplee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eplee went from 111 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Eplee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplee, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Eplee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eplee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Black (2.6%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Eplee (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 Eplee mean?
A surname originating from Yorkshire, England, potentially derived from the Old Norse words "ey" and "leah" meaning island meadow. 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 Eplee (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 Eplee?
See how many people have the surname Eplee on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.