2000
#11,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Eyler
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "noble warrior" or from German place names such as Eilo or Eila.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,754 Americans carry the last name Eyler. That puts it at #12,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,457 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eyler 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
2.8K
1 in 124,457
Census rank
#12,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,402 bearers of the surname Eyler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eyler
The surname Eyler originates from Germany, and its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Auler," which referred to a person who lived near or near a river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eyler can be found in the records of the town of Aalen, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. These records date back to the 14th century and mention an individual named Heinrich Eyler, who lived in the area around 1350.
As the name spread across Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Eiler, Eilert, and Eylert. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes or record keepers.
In the 16th century, the Eyler name appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Hans Eyler was listed as a prominent citizen. This suggests that the Eyler family had established itself in urban centers and engaged in commerce and trade.
During the 17th century, the Eyler surname gained recognition in the field of academia. Johann Eyler (1620-1688) was a German philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Wittenberg and published several influential works on ethics and natural law.
Another notable figure bearing the Eyler name was Johann Gottlieb Eyler (1738-1805), a German composer and organist. He served as the court composer for the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and composed numerous works for church and chamber music.
In the 19th century, the Eyler name crossed the Atlantic and found its way to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Eyler (1810-1886), a farmer and landowner from Pennsylvania who played a role in the local community and politics.
Another prominent American with the Eyler surname was Robert Eyler (1848-1922), a businessman and entrepreneur from Ohio. He founded the Eyler Brothers Company, which specialized in the manufacture of agricultural machinery and became a successful enterprise in the Midwest.
As the Eyler family spread across various regions and countries, the name continued to evolve, reflecting the cultural and linguistic influences of new environments. However, its German roots and association with rural settlements near water bodies remained a recurring theme throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eyler
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Eyler 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 Eyler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 2,252
- Two or more races3.1% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 50
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eyler
Eyler 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
#12,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,523
-5 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 890 places
2020
#12,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,402
-121 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,433 | 2,528 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,323 | 2,523 | 0.86 | -5 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 890 places |
| 2020 | #12,349 | 2,402 | 0.80 | -121 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 26 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 Eyler 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 | #12,323 | #12,349 | -0.2% |
| Count | 2,523 | 2,402 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eyler bearers went from 2,523 to 2,402 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,323 to #12,349.
FAQ
Eyler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eyler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,754 living Americans carry the surname Eyler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,457 residents.
How common is Eyler?
Eyler ranks #12,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,402 people with the surname Eyler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Eyler.
Has Eyler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eyler went from 2,523 recorded bearers to 2,402. That is a decrease of 121 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,323 to #12,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Eyler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Eyler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (2,252 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eyler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Eyler (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 Eyler mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "noble warrior" or from German place names such as Eilo or Eila. 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 Eyler (0.80 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 Eyler?
You can see how many people have the last name Eyler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.