2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eslin
A variant spelling of the surname Eslinger, of German origin meaning "from the place named Esslingen".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Eslin. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eslin 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Eslin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eslin
The surname Eslin is believed to have originated in England. It is thought to be an Anglo-Saxon name, derived from the Old English words "east" and "lin," meaning "east meadow" or "eastern meadow." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name or a location description, perhaps referring to a meadow or pasture situated in the eastern part of a particular area.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Eslin can be traced back to the late 12th and early 13th centuries in various county records and tax rolls. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Roger de Estlin, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1203. Another early reference is found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1219, where a William de Estlinge is listed.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Eslin appeared in various spellings, such as Estline, Estlynge, and Estlyn, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, suggesting that these areas may have been the original homelands or strongholds of the Eslin family.
One notable figure in history bearing the surname Eslin was Sir John Eslin (1490-1562), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another individual of note was William Eslin (1582-1647), a Puritan clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Sedgefield in County Durham.
In the 17th century, records show an Edward Eslin (1620-1678) who was a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London. During the same period, a family named Eslin resided in the village of Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire, where they were prominent landowners and farmers.
Another notable Eslin was James Eslin (1711-1792), a renowned botanist and horticulturist from Yorkshire, who was responsible for introducing several new plant species to England from his travels abroad. He was also a member of the Royal Society and contributed extensively to the study of plant taxonomy.
While the surname Eslin is not among the most common in England, it has a long and storied history, with roots that can be traced back several centuries. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, clergymen, merchants, and scholars, contributing to the rich tapestry of English culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eslin
Among Census respondents with the surname Eslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Eslin 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 Eslin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 82
- Two or more races9.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eslin
Eslin 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
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,478 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 16,478 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 4,245 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 Eslin 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 | #152,989 | 2.7% |
| Count | 103 | 105 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eslin bearers went from 103 to 105 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 4,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,989.
FAQ
Eslin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eslin?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Eslin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Eslin?
Eslin ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Eslin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Eslin.
Has Eslin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eslin went from 103 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Eslin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%). 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 Eslin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eslin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Two or More Races (9.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%). 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 Eslin (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 Eslin mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Eslinger, of German origin meaning "from the place named Esslingen". 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 Eslin (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 common is the surname Eslin?
If you just want to know how common the surname Eslin is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.