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

Esker, 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 Esker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esker in America

Esker is the 34390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esker surname appeared 659 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 Esker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esker 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 Esker

The surname Esker is of Irish origin, and it has its roots in the ancient Gaelic language. It is derived from the Irish word "eiscir," which means "ridge" or "hill." The name likely originated in the northwestern parts of Ireland, particularly in counties like Mayo and Sligo, where such geographic features are prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Esker can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1176, a certain "Donnchad Ua Eiscir" is mentioned as a member of the clergy in the region of Connacht.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Esker surname appeared in various legal documents and land records in Ireland. In 1638, a man named Patrick Esker was listed as a landowner in County Mayo. Around the same period, the name was also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were letters patent issued by the English Crown.

The Esker surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Donal Esker, a renowned Irish harpist who lived in the late 16th century and was patronized by the powerful O'Donovan clan.

In the 18th century, Francis Esker was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Mayo. He was known for his business acumen and played a significant role in the local economy during that time.

Another noteworthy figure was Michael Esker (1801-1879), a Catholic priest and educator who established several schools in Ireland during the mid-19th century. He was highly respected for his dedication to education and his efforts to improve literacy among the local population.

In the literary world, Anne Esker (1852-1922) was a celebrated Irish poet and playwright. Her works often explored themes of Irish identity and cultural heritage, and she was an influential figure in the Irish literary revival movement.

Lastly, John Esker (1898-1976) was a renowned Irish architect who designed several notable buildings in Dublin and other parts of Ireland during the early 20th century. His works were characterized by a fusion of traditional Irish and modern architectural styles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esker

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

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

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

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