2000
#12,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,293
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Eshleman
A topographic surname referring to someone living near an ash tree or in an area with ash trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,565 Americans carry the last name Eshleman. That puts it at #13,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,627 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eshleman 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
2.6K
1 in 133,627
Census rank
#13,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,237 bearers of the surname Eshleman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eshleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eshleman
The surname ESHLEMAN has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the old German word "Esche," which means ash tree, and "Mann," meaning man. The name likely referred to someone who lived near an ash tree or a grove of ash trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ESHLEMAN surname can be found in the town of Essen, located in the Ruhr region of Germany. In the mid-1500s, there are records of a family named Eschelmann residing in the area, which is believed to be the original spelling of the name.
As the ESHLEMAN family spread across Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge. In some regions, the name was written as Eschlemann, Esslemann, or Eschelman. These slight differences in spelling were common during the time, as record-keeping was not standardized.
One notable figure with the ESHLEMAN surname was Johann Eschelmann, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1623 to 1689. His works, primarily copper engravings, were highly regarded and can be found in collections throughout Europe.
In the late 17th century, the ESHLEMAN name began to appear in various historical records in the United States, as German immigrants started arriving in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Hans Eschelmann, who settled in the area now known as Lancaster County in 1698.
Another prominent figure was Christian Eshleman, born in 1766 in Pennsylvania. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War and later became a successful farmer and landowner in the region.
During the 19th century, the ESHLEMAN family continued to grow and spread across the United States. Benjamin Eshleman, born in 1820 in Ohio, was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who founded the Eshleman Academy, a prestigious educational institution in his hometown.
In the early 20th century, Henry Eshleman, born in 1876 in Pennsylvania, made significant contributions to the field of agriculture. He developed new techniques for crop rotation and soil management, which helped improve farming practices across the country.
Throughout its history, the ESHLEMAN surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, soldiers, farmers, businessmen, and academics. While the spelling may have evolved over time, the name's roots can be traced back to the ash trees of Germany, symbolizing strength, endurance, and a deep connection to nature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eshleman
Among Census respondents with the surname Eshleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Eshleman 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 Eshleman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 2,089
- Two or more races3.3% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eshleman
Eshleman 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
#13,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,297
+4 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 863 places
2020
#13,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
-60 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,415 | 2,293 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,278 | 2,297 | 0.78 | +4 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 863 places |
| 2020 | #13,115 | 2,237 | 0.75 | -60 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 163 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 Eshleman 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 | #13,278 | #13,115 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,297 | 2,237 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.75 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eshleman bearers went from 2,297 to 2,237 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,278 to #13,115.
FAQ
Eshleman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eshleman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,565 living Americans carry the surname Eshleman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,627 residents.
How common is Eshleman?
Eshleman ranks #13,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,237 people with the surname Eshleman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Eshleman.
Has Eshleman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eshleman went from 2,297 recorded bearers to 2,237. That is a decrease of 60 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,278 to #13,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Eshleman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eshleman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (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 Eshleman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eshleman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (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 Eshleman (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 Eshleman mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living near an ash tree or in an area with ash trees. 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 Eshleman (0.75 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 are called Eshleman?
Find out how many people have the last name Eshleman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.