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

Erler, 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 Erler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erler in America

Erler is the 23899th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erler surname appeared 1,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Erler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erler 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 Erler

The surname ERLER originated in Germany, likely emerging around the 12th or 13th century. It derived from the Middle High German word "erle," which means "alder tree." This suggests the name was originally an occupational surname given to those who worked with alder wood or lived near alder trees.

In the German regions of Bavaria and Saxony, early variations of the spelling included Erler, Erlär, and Erlaer. The name can be traced back to the village of Erlau in present-day Bavaria, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appeared in local chronicles and tax records.

One of the earliest known bearers of the ERLER name was Hans Erler, a woodcarver who lived in Nuremberg in the late 15th century. His intricate works adorned several churches and buildings in the city. Around the same time, the ERLER family name appeared in the town records of Bamberg, where a certain Konrad Erler was listed as a landowner in 1482.

In the 16th century, the name ERLER gained prominence with the Reformer Johannes Erler (1551-1612), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as the rector of the University of Wittenberg. His writings on theology and education were widely influential during the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure was the 17th-century artist Johann Georg Erler (1592-1670), a painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His detailed engravings of landscapes and historical scenes are considered among the finest of the Baroque period.

During the 18th century, the ERLER name spread beyond Germany as some family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, in 1742, Jacob Erler was recorded as one of the earliest German settlers in the British colony of Pennsylvania.

As the surname ERLER continued to disperse geographically, it maintained its strongest roots in the German states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. However, its origins can be traced back to the alder tree, reflecting the name's humble beginnings as an occupational identifier centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erler

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

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 Erler 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 Erler 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 Erler was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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