2000
#56,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Esche
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the German word "Esche" meaning ash tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 385 Americans carry the last name Esche. That puts it at #64,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 890,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Esche 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
385
1 in 890,271
Census rank
#64,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
336
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 336 bearers of the surname Esche in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Esche, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Esche
The surname ESCHE is of German origin, deriving from the Low German word "esche" or "eske," meaning ash tree. This name likely originated in the Middle Ages, when surnames were often derived from natural features or occupations.
The earliest recorded instances of the ESCHE surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of northern Germany, particularly in Lower Saxony and Westphalia. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Johannes Esche, a landowner mentioned in a document from the city of Lübeck in 1372.
During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance period, the ESCHE name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts across northern Germany. For instance, in the 16th century, a merchant named Hans Esche was listed in the city records of Hamburg, while a Claus Esche was documented as a craftsman in the town of Lüneburg in the late 15th century.
The ESCHE surname was also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was Johann Esche, a Lutheran theologian and reformer born in Rostock in 1528. He played a significant role in spreading the Protestant Reformation in northern Germany and authored several religious works.
Another notable bearer of the ESCHE name was Johann Christoph Esche, a German composer and organist born in Gräfenhainichen in 1676. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of Baroque music and served as the court organist for the Duke of Saxe-Merseburg.
In the realm of literature, Johann Heinrich Esche, a German poet and writer born in Altona in 1749, gained recognition for his works in the Romantic and Sturm und Drang literary movements. His poetry collections and plays were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
The ESCHE surname also has connections to various place names and locations throughout northern Germany. For example, the village of Eschede in Lower Saxony likely derived its name from the ash trees prevalent in the area, potentially sharing a linguistic root with the surname ESCHE.
While the ESCHE name was primarily concentrated in northern Germany, it also spread to other regions and countries through migration and diaspora. Over time, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Esch, Escher, and Esche, reflecting local linguistic influences and adaptations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Esche
Among Census respondents with the surname Esche, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Esche 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 Esche surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 309
- Two or more races3.9% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Esche
Esche 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
#58,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
+8 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 2,048 places
2020
#64,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
-9 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 5,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,687 | 337 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,735 | 345 | 0.12 | +8 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 2,048 places |
| 2020 | #64,041 | 336 | 0.11 | -9 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 5,306 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 Esche 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 | #58,735 | #64,041 | -9.0% |
| Count | 345 | 336 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Esche bearers went from 345 to 336 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 5,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,735 to #64,041.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Esche
FAQ
Esche surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Esche?
Name Census estimates that about 385 living Americans carry the surname Esche. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 890,271 residents.
How common is Esche?
Esche ranks #64,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 336 people with the surname Esche. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (385), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Esche.
Has Esche become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Esche went from 345 recorded bearers to 336. That is a decrease of 9 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #58,735 to #64,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Esche?
Among Census respondents with the surname Esche, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Esche in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (309 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Esche appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Esche (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 Esche mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the German word "Esche" meaning ash tree. 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 Esche (0.11 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 surname Esche?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.