2000
#21,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,156
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Eyster
Of German origin, a topographic name for someone living by a body of water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,355 Americans carry the last name Eyster. That puts it at #22,332 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 252,955 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eyster 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
1.4K
1 in 252,955
Census rank
#22,332
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,182 bearers of the surname Eyster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22332nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eyster
The surname "EYSTER" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Eier," which means "eggs," suggesting a potential connection to an occupation or trade involving the production or sale of eggs.
One of the earliest known references to the name "EYSTER" can be found in the historical documents of the town of Eisenach, located in the state of Thuringia, Germany. In these records, dated around 1550, there is a mention of a family by the surname "Eyster" residing in the area.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some of these variations included "Eister," "Eyester," and "Eisterer," all of which likely stemmed from the original "Eyster" form.
In the 17th century, the name "EYSTER" appeared in various German parish records and legal documents, indicating its continued presence and usage within the country. One notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Eyster (1630-1702), a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Nuremberg.
As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas, the surname "EYSTER" traveled with them. In the late 18th century, records show that several families with this surname had established themselves in the Pennsylvania Dutch communities of the United States.
Among the notable individuals with the surname "EYSTER" in later years was Jacob Eyster (1786-1854), a farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Another notable figure was Michael Eyster (1823-1899), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and later a successful businessman in Ohio.
Other individuals of note include Henry Eyster (1835-1917), a prominent banker and philanthropist in Pennsylvania, and John Eyster (1856-1932), a respected educator and administrator in the field of higher education, serving as the president of Bucknell University from 1919 to 1925.
While the surname "EYSTER" may have originated from a relatively humble occupation, its endurance over centuries and its spread across various regions and countries serve as a testament to the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eyster
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Eyster 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 Eyster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 1,102
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 33
- Two or more races2.5% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.6% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eyster
Eyster 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
#25,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 986
-170 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 3,996 places
2020
#22,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,182
+196 bearers (+19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 2,820 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,156 | 1,156 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,152 | 986 | 0.33 | -170 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 3,996 places |
| 2020 | #22,332 | 1,182 | 0.40 | +196 bearers (+19.9%) | Up 2,820 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 Eyster 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 | #25,152 | #22,332 | 11.2% |
| Count | 986 | 1,182 | 19.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.40 | 19.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eyster bearers went from 986 to 1,182 (+19.9% change). The surname moved up 2,820 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,152 to #22,332.
FAQ
Eyster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eyster?
Name Census estimates that about 1,355 living Americans carry the surname Eyster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 252,955 residents.
How common is Eyster?
Eyster ranks #22,332 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,182 people with the surname Eyster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Eyster.
Has Eyster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eyster went from 986 recorded bearers to 1,182. That is an increase of 196 (+19.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,152 to #22,332.
What does the Census say about the background of Eyster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eyster, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Eyster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eyster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Eyster (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 Eyster mean?
Of German origin, a topographic name for someone living by a body of water. 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 Eyster (0.40 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 Americans have the surname Eyster?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.