Find out how popular the last name Eyre is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Eyre.

Eyre, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Eyre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eyre in America

Eyre is the 12941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eyre surname appeared 2,374 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Eyre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eyre to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Eyre

The surname EYRE is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word 'eir' meaning heir. It is believed to have originated in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French nobles and their families settled in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Eir' and 'Eyr'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, likely adopted by individuals who were heirs or held land and property.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname began to take on various spellings, such as 'Eyre', 'Eyr', 'Eir', and 'Heir'. This was due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time, as well as the influence of regional dialects and scribes' interpretations.

The name was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire, where it is thought to have originated. This is evidenced by the presence of several place names containing the word 'Eyre', such as Eyre Court in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and Eyre Water, a tributary of the River Derwent.

One notable historical figure with the surname EYRE was Sir Robert Eyre (c. 1350-1459), a wealthy landowner and courtier who served as Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of Henry VI. He was also one of the founders of the prestigious Eton College.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Eyre (1499-1572), a successful lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Queen Elizabeth I. He is remembered for his fair and impartial judgments, as well as his efforts to reform the legal system.

In the 17th century, the EYRE surname was also associated with the English Civil War. Thomas Eyre (1619-1675) was a Royalist soldier who fought for King Charles I and was later appointed as the Governor of Newark Castle.

A famous literary figure with the surname was Jane Eyre, the fictional protagonist of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. While the character's name was likely chosen for its symbolic meaning of 'heir', it nonetheless contributed to the recognition of the surname in popular culture.

Finally, it is worth mentioning Sir James Eyre (1734-1799), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia and later as Governor of Grenada. His legacy includes the establishment of several educational institutions and the promotion of free trade policies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eyre

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Eyre.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Eyre was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Eyre has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Eyre was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Eyre, please contact us.

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