2000
#3,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,926
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.05
Uncommon Last name
Ezell
A toponymic surname derived from any of various places in England, likely referring to a spring or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,175 Americans carry the last name Ezell. That puts it at #3,323 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,152 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ezell 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
12K
1 in 28,152
Census rank
#3,323
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,617 bearers of the surname Ezell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3323rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ezell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ezell
The surname Ezell is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Ezra," which means "help" or "helper." Alternatively, it may have been derived from the Hebrew name "Ezra," which means "helper" or "protection."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Placita de Quo Warranto rolls from 1292, which mention a "William Ezell" from Gloucestershire. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1327, where a "John Ezell" is listed as a taxpayer.
In the 14th century, the name Ezell was associated with various places in England, including the village of Ezell in Northumberland and the hamlet of Ezell in Yorkshire. The spelling of the name varied, with alternative forms such as "Ezel," "Ezell," and "Ezill" being recorded.
One notable individual bearing the Ezell surname was John Ezell, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Vintners in London during the late 16th century. Another was William Ezell, who served as a captain in the English Civil War and was killed in battle near Oxford in 1645.
In the 17th century, the Ezell family established themselves in the county of Somerset, where they were known as landowners and farmers. A prominent member of this branch was Richard Ezell (1628-1692), who served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local politics.
As the centuries progressed, the Ezell surname spread to other parts of England and eventually to other countries, including the United States, where it gained a foothold in the southern states during the colonial era. One notable American bearing the name was John Ezell (1776-1856), a soldier who fought in the War of 1812 and later became a successful businessman in Tennessee.
Another noteworthy individual was Sarah Ezell (1841-1923), a pioneer and educator who helped establish schools in the American West, particularly in Wyoming and Colorado. She was also an advocate for women's rights and played a role in the suffrage movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ezell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ezell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ezell 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 Ezell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.9% · 6,994
- Black or African American26.2% · 2,786
- Two or more races4.7% · 496
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 250
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ezell
Ezell 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
#3,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,121
+195 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.77
Rank movement Down 205 places
2020
#3,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,617
-504 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.55
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,042 | 10,926 | 4.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,247 | 11,121 | 3.77 | +195 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 205 places |
| 2020 | #3,323 | 10,617 | 3.55 | -504 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 76 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 Ezell 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 | #3,247 | #3,323 | -2.3% |
| Count | 11,121 | 10,617 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.77 | 3.55 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ezell bearers went from 11,121 to 10,617 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,247 to #3,323.
FAQ
Ezell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ezell?
Name Census estimates that about 12,175 living Americans carry the surname Ezell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,152 residents.
How common is Ezell?
Ezell ranks #3,323 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,617 people with the surname Ezell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Ezell.
Has Ezell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ezell went from 11,121 recorded bearers to 10,617. That is a decrease of 504 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,247 to #3,323.
What does the Census say about the background of Ezell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ezell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ezell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (6,994 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ezell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.9%), Black (26.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ezell (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 Ezell mean?
A toponymic surname derived from any of various places in England, likely referring to a spring or stream. 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 Ezell (3.55 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 Ezell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.