2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Erl
A habitational surname derived from the place name "Earl" or "Earle" in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Erl. 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 Erl 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 Erl 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 Erl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erl
The surname "ERL" is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "erli," which means "earl" or "nobleman." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who held positions of authority or rank.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Codex Traditionum Fuldensium," a collection of legal documents from the Fulda Monastery in Germany, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries. This document mentions an individual named "Erlo," which is likely a variation of the name Erl.
In the 11th century, the name Erl appeared in the "Traditio Mellicensis," a record of donations made to the Melk Abbey in Austria. This document references an individual named "Erlo de Prunne," indicating that the name may have been associated with a specific geographic location.
During the 13th century, the name Erl was documented in the "Liber Censuum" of the Archdiocese of Cologne, a record of taxes and revenues. This suggests that individuals bearing the name Erl may have held land or property in the region.
One notable individual with the surname Erl was Johann Erl, a German painter and woodcarver who lived in the 15th century. His works can be found in various churches and monasteries throughout Germany.
Another notable figure was Konrad Erl, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and ethics, and his works were widely read and studied during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the name Erl was associated with the town of Erlenbach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is possible that the name may have originated from this geographic location or that individuals from this area adopted the surname.
Hans Erl, a German composer and organist, lived in the 18th century and is known for his contributions to sacred music and organ compositions.
In the 19th century, Wilhelm Erl was a prominent German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
While the surname Erl is not as common today, it continues to hold a rich historical significance, with its roots dating back to medieval Germany and associations with nobility, art, academia, and various geographic locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erl
Among Census respondents with the surname Erl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Erl 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 Erl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erl
Erl 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-13 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,835 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 19,835 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,608 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 Erl 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 | #143,149 | #145,757 | -1.8% |
| Count | 116 | 115 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erl bearers went from 116 to 115 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,757.
FAQ
Erl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erl?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Erl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Erl?
Erl 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 Erl. 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 Erl.
Has Erl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erl went from 116 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Erl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Erl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Erl (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 Erl mean?
A habitational surname derived from the place name "Earl" or "Earle" in England. 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 Erl (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 have the last name Erl?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Erl at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.