2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Eule
An occupational surname referring to an owl catcher or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Eule. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eule 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Eule in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eule, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eule
The surname EULE is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "?wwil," which referred to a small owl or night bird. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone perceived to have owl-like characteristics, such as keen eyesight or a tendency to stay up late at night.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the EULE surname can be found in the Bavarian town of Nürnberg in the 14th century. A merchant named Hans Eule is mentioned in a ledger from 1367, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
The EULE name also appears in various historical documents from the Rhine Valley region of Germany. In the town of Mainz, a record from 1487 mentions a baker named Peter Eule, suggesting that the name had spread to different parts of the country by the late 15th century.
During the 16th century, the EULE surname gained prominence with the birth of the scholar and humanist Matthias Eule, born in Heidelberg in 1525. Eule was a respected academic who taught at the University of Heidelberg and published several works on philosophy and theology.
Another notable figure with the EULE surname was Johann Eule, a 17th-century composer and organist from Nuremberg. Born in 1628, Eule served as the court organist for the Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and composed numerous sacred and secular works during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the EULE name was associated with the town of Eulenburg in Saxony, which likely derived its name from the German word "Eule" (owl). A prominent citizen named Friedrich Eule is recorded as serving as the town's mayor in 1756.
As the EULE surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, various spelling variations emerged, such as Eul, Eulen, and Eulenberg. These variations often reflected local dialects or were adopted by different branches of the family over time.
Throughout its history, the EULE surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, artisans, scholars, and civic leaders. While not as widespread as some other German surnames, it remains a respected name with a rich cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eule
Among Census respondents with the surname Eule, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Eule 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 Eule surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 82
- Black or African American8.3% · 9
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eule
Eule appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 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 Eule 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 | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eule bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Eule surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eule?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Eule. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Eule?
Eule ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Eule. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Eule.
Has Eule become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eule went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Eule?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eule, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Eule in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eule appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (8.3%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Eule (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 Eule mean?
An occupational surname referring to an owl catcher or hunter. 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 Eule (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 have the last name Eule?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Eule, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.