2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eplett
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English element "ept" meaning "plant" or "tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Eplett. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eplett 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Eplett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eplett
The surname Eplett originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ept," which means a place where shady trees or bushes grow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
The earliest known record of the name Eplett dates back to the 13th century, when a John Eplett was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273. This suggests that the name was already well-established in northern England by this time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Eplott, Epplott, and Eppelot, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common before standardization. One notable example is William Eppelot, who was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.
The Eplett surname is also found in some early parish records, such as the baptism of Thomas Eplett in Hampsthwaite, Yorkshire, in 1598. This indicates that the name was still prevalent in the region during the 16th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Eplett name was Robert Eplett, a merchant who lived in London in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in the export trade and is mentioned in several records from that time.
Another notable figure was Sir John Eplett, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the 1640s. He fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was knighted for his services to the cause.
In the 18th century, there are records of an Eplett family living in the village of Ecclesfield, near Sheffield. One member of this family, Samuel Eplett, was a prominent local landowner and served as a justice of the peace.
During the 19th century, the Eplett name spread beyond its traditional Yorkshire roots, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of England and Wales. One example is William Eplett, a successful businessman from Liverpool who lived from 1820 to 1895.
While the Eplett surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of English heritage, with its origins rooted in the medieval period and a long history in the northern counties of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eplett
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eplett 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 Eplett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eplett
Eplett 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,375 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,361 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 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 3,375 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,361 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 Eplett 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 | #138,304 | #148,665 | -7.5% |
| Count | 121 | 111 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eplett bearers went from 121 to 111 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,361 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #148,665.
FAQ
Eplett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eplett?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Eplett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Eplett?
Eplett ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Eplett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Eplett.
Has Eplett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eplett went from 121 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Eplett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eplett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) 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 Eplett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eplett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (5.4%), 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 Eplett (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 Eplett mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English element "ept" meaning "plant" or "tree." 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 Eplett (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 share the surname Eplett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.