2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Erdie
A locational surname potentially referring to someone from the Scottish region of Aird.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Erdie. 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 Erdie 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 Erdie 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 Erdie, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erdie
The surname Erdie originated in Scotland in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "ard," meaning high or lofty. The name likely referred to someone who lived on a hill or elevated land. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Ardye, Airdye, and Airdie.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Arde, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. The Ragman Rolls were a series of documents that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. One entry from 1369 mentions a payment made to "Willelmo de Arde." This William de Arde was likely a landowner or official in the Scottish government at the time.
The name Erdie has also been linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Airdrie, a town located near Glasgow. The town's name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic "Ard Reidh," meaning "high plain" or "level ground."
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Erdie (c. 1560-1624), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the early 17th century. He was a supporter of the union between Scotland and England and played a role in the negotiations that led to the Act of Union in 1707.
Another historical figure with the surname Erdie was John Erdie (1673-1747), a Scottish minister and writer. He served as the minister of the parish of Arbuthnott in Kincardineshire and authored several religious works, including "The Practical Expositor" and "The Family Instructor."
Other notable individuals with the surname Erdie include:
1. James Erdie (c. 1580-1637), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Perthshire.
2. Robert Erdie (1705-1779), a Scottish architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Edinburgh.
3. Margaret Erdie (1725-1801), a Scottish philanthropist and benefactor who donated funds to establish a school for girls in Aberdeen.
4. William Erdie (1810-1888), a Scottish engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Forth Bridge in Scotland.
5. Elizabeth Erdie (1845-1923), a Scottish artist known for her landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erdie
Among Census respondents with the surname Erdie, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Erdie 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 Erdie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erdie
Erdie 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
-24 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,393 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,559 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 29,393 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 5,559 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 Erdie 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 | #142,788 | 3.7% |
| Count | 111 | 119 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erdie bearers went from 111 to 119 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 5,559 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #142,788.
FAQ
Erdie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erdie?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Erdie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Erdie?
Erdie 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 Erdie. 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 Erdie.
Has Erdie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erdie went from 111 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 8 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Erdie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erdie, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Erdie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erdie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (8.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Erdie (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 Erdie mean?
A locational surname potentially referring to someone from the Scottish region of Aird. 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 Erdie (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 Erdie?
See how many people are called Erdie on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.