2000
#50,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Essien
A surname originating from the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,038 Americans carry the last name Essien. That puts it at #28,086 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 330,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Essien 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Essien with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 330,206
Census rank
#28,086
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
905
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 905 bearers of the surname Essien in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28086th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Essien, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Essien
The surname ESSIEN is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Ibibio ethnic group in the south-eastern part of the country. It is believed to have originated during the 16th or 17th century when surnames became more widespread in the region. The name is thought to be derived from the Ibibio word "essien" which means "victorious one" or "conqueror".
Early recorded instances of the ESSIEN surname can be found in historical documents and records from the Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria, where the Ibibio people are predominantly based. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Obong Essien Ekpeyong, a prominent Ibibio ruler and warrior who lived in the late 18th century, and Chief Essien Ukpanah, a respected leader and landowner from the early 19th century.
One of the most notable historical figures with the ESSIEN surname is Akanu Ibiam Essien, a Nigerian politician and statesman who served as the Governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria from 1957 to 1959. He was born in 1904 and played a significant role in the country's transition to independence from British colonial rule.
Another well-known individual with the ESSIEN surname is Michael Essien, a Ghanaian professional footballer who played for various clubs, including Chelsea and Real Madrid. He was born in 1982 and is considered one of the greatest African footballers of his generation.
In literature, the ESSIEN surname is featured in the works of Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta, whose novels often explore the experiences of the Ibibio people. One of her characters, Nna-Nndo Essien, appears in the novel "The Slave Girl" and is depicted as a respected elder in an Ibibio village.
Other notable individuals with the ESSIEN surname include Eno Essien, a Nigerian actress and filmmaker known for her work in the Nollywood film industry, and Anietie Essien, a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Anietie Essien Foundation to support education and healthcare initiatives in Nigeria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Essien
Among Census respondents with the surname Essien, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Essien 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 Essien surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.2% · 816
- Two or more races5.0% · 45
- White2.3% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Essien
Essien 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
#35,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 627
+240 bearers (+62.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 14,874 places
2020
#28,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 905
+278 bearers (+44.3%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 7,726 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,686 | 387 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,812 | 627 | 0.21 | +240 bearers (+62.0%) | Up 14,874 places |
| 2020 | #28,086 | 905 | 0.30 | +278 bearers (+44.3%) | Up 7,726 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 Essien 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 | #35,812 | #28,086 | 21.6% |
| Count | 627 | 905 | 44.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.30 | 44.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Essien bearers went from 627 to 905 (+44.3% change). The surname moved up 7,726 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,812 to #28,086.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Essien
FAQ
Essien surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Essien?
Name Census estimates that about 1,038 living Americans carry the surname Essien. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 330,206 residents.
How common is Essien?
Essien ranks #28,086 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 905 people with the surname Essien. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Essien.
Has Essien become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Essien went from 627 recorded bearers to 905. That is an increase of 278 (+44.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,812 to #28,086.
What does the Census say about the background of Essien?
Among Census respondents with the surname Essien, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Essien in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (816 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Essien appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.2%), Two or More Races (5.0%), White (2.3%). 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 Essien (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 Essien mean?
A surname originating from the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast region. 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 Essien (0.30 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 Essien?
Want to know how common the surname Essien is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.