2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ether
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "ether" meaning "upper air" or "sky".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Ether. 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 Ether 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 Ether 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 Ether, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ether
The surname "ETHER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "æðer," which means "air" or "breath." This surname likely emerged as a descriptive name, possibly referring to someone with a light, airy demeanor or perhaps someone who worked with air, such as a bellows-maker or a blacksmith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "ETHER" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Adam Ether is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Ather," "Aether," and "Ether," reflecting the different spellings and variations that were common during that era. For example, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273 record a William Ather.
The surname "ETHER" has been linked to several place names across England, including Ether in Derbyshire and Etherow in Greater Manchester. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the surname "ETHER" throughout history include:
1. John Ether (c. 1550 - 1625), an English businessman and landowner from Derbyshire.
2. William Ether (c. 1610 - 1678), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.
3. Mary Ether (c. 1670 - 1745), a poet and writer from Warwickshire.
4. Thomas Ether (1759 - 1826), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Elizabeth Ether (1818 - 1892), a renowned philanthropist and social reformer from Lancashire.
While the surname "ETHER" is not exceptionally common, it has persisted throughout the centuries and can be found in various parts of England, reflecting the country's rich history and diverse cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ether
Among Census respondents with the surname Ether, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ether 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 Ether surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 62
- Black or African American26.7% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ether
Ether 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,875 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 1,875 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 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 Ether 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 | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ether bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Ether surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ether?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Ether. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Ether?
Ether 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 Ether. 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 Ether.
Has Ether become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ether went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Ether?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ether, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Ether in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ether appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Black (26.7%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Ether (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 Ether mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "ether" meaning "upper air" or "sky". 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 Ether (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 many people share the surname Ether?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.