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

Erny, 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 Erny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erny in America

Erny is the 36204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erny surname appeared 619 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 Erny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erny 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 Erny

The surname ERNY is believed to have originated in Germany, with earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "arn," meaning "eagle," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a person who possessed eagle-like qualities or lived in an area associated with these majestic birds.

In the Middle Ages, the name was commonly found in various regions of present-day Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhine River. One of the earliest documented references to the ERNY surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and records from the Rhineland region, dating back to the year 1187.

The ERNY name also appeared in several medieval manuscripts and records, including the Annales Herbipolenses, a chronicle of events from the Benedictine monastery in Würzburg, Germany, which mentioned an individual named Erny von Weikersheim in the year 1289.

During the 13th century, the name ERNY was associated with several notable figures, such as Heinrich Erny, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Cologne, who lived from approximately 1220 to 1285. Another notable bearer of the name was Konrad Erny, a scholar and theologian from Mainz, who was active in the late 13th century.

As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it took on various spellings and variations, including Ernie, Earnst, and Ernies. Some of these variants may have been influenced by place names or local dialects.

In the 16th century, the ERNY name gained further prominence with individuals like Hans Erny, a master craftsman and woodcarver from Nuremberg, who lived from around 1510 to 1578. His intricate works adorned churches and buildings throughout the region.

Another notable figure was Johann Erny, a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who lived from 1554 to 1629 and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the ERNY surname continued to be widespread across German-speaking regions, with individuals like Georg Erny, a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, who lived from 1670 to 1745, and Johann Michael Erny, a composer and organist from Nuremberg, who lived from 1720 to 1789.

While the ERNY name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, with bearers of the name continuing to contribute to various fields and professions throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erny

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

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

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

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