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

Esse, 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 Esse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esse in America

Esse is the 48436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esse surname appeared 436 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 Esse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esse 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 Esse

The surname Esse is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "esse," which means "ash tree" or "ash wood." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near an ash tree or forest, or whose occupation involved working with ash wood.

In the 17th century, records show the Esse surname appearing in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. During this time, the name was also spelled in different ways, such as Essen, Esser, and Eschen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Esse surname can be found in the Kirchenbuch (church book) of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a town in Bavaria, where a family with the name Esse is mentioned in an entry dated 1612.

In the 18th century, the Esse surname began to spread beyond Germany's borders, with some families emigrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One notable individual from this period was Johann Georg Esse (1734-1807), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

As the centuries progressed, the Esse surname continued to appear in various historical records and documents. In the 19th century, for example, the name can be found in the census records of several German states, as well as in the passenger lists of ships carrying German immigrants to the United States.

Among the notable individuals with the Esse surname in more recent history are:

1. Hartwig Esse (1876-1949), a German naval officer and submarine commander during World War I.
2. Carl Esse (1886-1945), a German artist and printmaker known for his etchings and woodcuts.
3. Willi Esse (1888-1967), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the early 20th century.
4. Gerhard Esse (1924-2002), a German writer and playwright known for his works exploring themes of identity and cultural displacement.
5. Claudia Esse (born 1954), a German actress and television presenter who has appeared in numerous TV shows and films throughout her career.

While the Esse surname may not be among the most common in the world, its history and origins can be traced back several centuries, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Germany and the experiences of those who carried this name throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esse

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

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

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

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