2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Etler
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "noble."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Etler. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Etler 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Etler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Etler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Etler
The surname Etler is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name "Etel" or "Ethel," meaning "noble" or "of noble birth." This suggests that the name may have originally been borne by individuals of aristocratic or noble lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bamberg City Archives, where a certain Cunradus Etler was mentioned in a document dated 1289. This document pertained to a land transaction, indicating that the Etler family may have held some degree of wealth and social standing in the region at that time.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various chronicles and records from the town of Nürnberg, where a prominent family of merchants and traders bore the surname Etler. Notable among them was Hans Etler (c. 1420-1489), a successful merchant and member of the city council, who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the city during his lifetime.
As the name spread across Germany in the following centuries, it took on various spellings, such as Ettler, Oettler, and Öttler, reflecting regional dialectal variations. One notable figure from this period was Johann Etler (1677-1741), a respected theologian and author from Saxony, who published several influential works on religious philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the accomplishments of Julius Etler (1816-1887), a German painter and illustrator known for his vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are highly regarded and can be found in numerous art collections across Europe.
Another prominent individual with the surname Etler was Max Etler (1885-1962), a German-born American chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry. His research focused on the synthesis and properties of various organic compounds, and he held several patents for his inventions.
While the Etler name is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich historical legacy spanning multiple centuries and regions, particularly in Germany and parts of Central Europe. Its origins can be traced back to the noble class of medieval Bavaria, and it has been borne by individuals who have made noteworthy contributions in various fields, including commerce, religion, art, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Etler
Among Census respondents with the surname Etler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Etler 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 Etler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Etler
Etler 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+23 bearers (+23.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,987 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-19 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +23 bearers (+23.0%) | Up 13,987 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 17,141 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 Etler 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 | #136,449 | #153,590 | -12.6% |
| Count | 123 | 104 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Etler bearers went from 123 to 104 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 17,141 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #153,590.
FAQ
Etler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Etler?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Etler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Etler?
Etler ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Etler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Etler.
Has Etler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Etler went from 123 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Etler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Etler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Etler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Etler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Etler (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 Etler mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "noble." 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 Etler (0.03 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 Etler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.