Find out how popular the last name Erhardt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Erhardt.

Erhardt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Erhardt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erhardt in America

Erhardt is the 13949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erhardt surname appeared 2,164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Erhardt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erhardt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Erhardt

The surname Erhardt has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German personal name "Erhard," which is composed of the elements "era" meaning honor and "hard" meaning brave or strong. This name was popular during the medieval period and was often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to embody these virtues.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Erhardt can be found in the Codex Traditionum Wizenburgensium, a medieval manuscript from the 8th century that documented land transfers and property ownership in the region of Franconia, Germany. This suggests that the name was already in use during this time period and was likely associated with individuals of some social standing or landowners.

The name Erhardt has also been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Erhardsweiler, a small village in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is possible that some individuals adopted the name based on their association with these locations or as a way to identify their place of origin.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Erhardt. One such person was Johann Erhardt (1614-1664), a German artist and engraver known for his intricate copperplate engravings depicting biblical scenes and landscapes. Another notable figure was Johann Benjamin Erhardt (1687-1756), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

In the 19th century, the name Erhardt was associated with Jacob Friedrich Erhardt (1814-1893), a German-American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Astor Library and the Old New York Hospital. Additionally, Paul Erhardt (1862-1933) was a German painter and illustrator known for his romantic depictions of rural life and landscapes.

Towards the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, the name Erhardt gained further prominence with individuals such as Walter Erhardt (1888-1967), a German engineer and inventor who developed the first practical direct-current electric locomotive.

These examples demonstrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Erhardt throughout history, spanning fields such as art, science, architecture, and engineering.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erhardt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Erhardt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Erhardt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Erhardt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Erhardt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Erhardt, please contact us.

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