2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Erner
A German surname likely derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Erner. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Erner 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Erner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Erner, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erner
The surname ERNER has its roots in Germany, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from a derivative of the German word "ern," which means "iron" or "earnest." This suggests that the name may have been associated with blacksmiths or individuals with a resolute and determined personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ERNER can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Johann Erner was documented as a blacksmith in the year 1287. The name also appeared in various medieval records, such as the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg, where an entry from 1349 mentions a merchant named Hans Erner.
In the 15th century, the name ERNER gained prominence in the region of Franconia, particularly in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Here, the Erner family was well-established and held influential positions within the local guilds and civic administration. Notable members included Konrad Erner (1422-1498), a respected goldsmith, and his son, Georg Erner (1455-1521), who served as a city councilor.
The name also appeared in various historical documents throughout Germany, such as the Kirchenbücher (church books) of Saxony, where an entry from 1612 records the baptism of a child named Anna Erner in the town of Leipzig.
Among the notable individuals who carried the surname ERNER, one can mention:
1. Johann Erner (1769-1842), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg, renowned for his sacred music compositions.
2. Wilhelm Erner (1842-1923), a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.
3. Elfriede Erner (1891-1972), an Austrian stage actress and theater director, known for her performances in Viennese theaters.
4. Hans Erner (1904-1983), a German journalist and political activist who played a significant role in the resistance movement against the Nazi regime during World War II.
5. Gerhard Erner (born 1933), a German philosopher and academic, recognized for his contributions to the field of environmental ethics and his work on the concept of "deep ecology."
While the name ERNER has evolved and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the heart of Germany, where it held a strong presence throughout the centuries, reflecting the country's rich cultural and historical heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erner
Among Census respondents with the surname Erner, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Erner 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 Erner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 81
- Black or African American8.3% · 9
- Two or more races8.3% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erner
Erner 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,477 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 17,477 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,299 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 Erner 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 | #157,234 | #150,935 | 4.0% |
| Count | 103 | 108 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erner bearers went from 103 to 108 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,299 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,935.
FAQ
Erner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erner?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Erner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Erner?
Erner ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Erner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Erner.
Has Erner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erner went from 103 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Erner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erner, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Erner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (8.3%), Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Erner (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 Erner mean?
A German surname likely derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Erner (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 Erner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.