2000
#3,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.28
Rare Last name
Eads
A topographic surname derived from the Middle English "ede," referring to someone who lived near a pasture or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,814 Americans carry the last name Eads. That puts it at #4,022 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,925 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eads 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Eads with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 34,925
Census rank
#4,022
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,558 bearers of the surname Eads in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4022nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eads, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eads
The surname EADS has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ead," meaning "prosperity" or "fortune." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was considered fortunate or prosperous.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EADS can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation carried out in England in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Eade" in this historical document, reflecting its ancient roots.
Over the centuries, the name EADS has undergone various spelling variations, including Eades, Eadson, and Eadies, among others. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John Eades was recorded as a landowner in the county of Hertfordshire, England. This early reference to the surname provides insight into the geographical distribution of the name during the Middle Ages.
As the centuries passed, the EADS surname continued to appear in various historical records. One notable individual was Sir John Eades (1548-1624), an English diplomat and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure bearing the EADS surname was William Eades (1675-1744), an English churchman and scholar who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral in the early 18th century.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the EADS surname dates back to the late 17th century. Edward Eades (1645-1720), an English immigrant, settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and planter in the colony.
Furthermore, the EADS surname has been associated with several notable place names, such as Eades Mill in Virginia, which was named after the Eades family who owned a mill in that area during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Throughout history, the EADS surname has been represented by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, scholars, landowners, and entrepreneurs. Some other notable figures bearing this surname include John Eades (1830-1901), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, and Walter Eades (1894-1918), a British soldier who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eads
Among Census respondents with the surname Eads, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Eads 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 Eads surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 7,735
- Two or more races3.8% · 328
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 249
- Black or African American1.6% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eads
Eads 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
#3,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,056
+203 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Down 243 places
2020
#4,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,558
-498 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.86
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,682 | 8,853 | 3.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,925 | 9,056 | 3.07 | +203 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 243 places |
| 2020 | #4,022 | 8,558 | 2.86 | -498 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 97 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 Eads 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 | #3,925 | #4,022 | -2.5% |
| Count | 9,056 | 8,558 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.07 | 2.86 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eads bearers went from 9,056 to 8,558 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,925 to #4,022.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Eads
FAQ
Eads surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eads?
Name Census estimates that about 9,814 living Americans carry the surname Eads. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,925 residents.
How common is Eads?
Eads ranks #4,022 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,558 people with the surname Eads. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,814), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Eads.
Has Eads become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eads went from 9,056 recorded bearers to 8,558. That is a decrease of 498 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,925 to #4,022.
What does the Census say about the background of Eads?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eads, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Eads in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (7,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eads appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Eads (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 Eads mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Middle English "ede," referring to someone who lived near a pasture or meadow. 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 Eads (2.86 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 common is the surname Eads?
You can see how many people have the surname Eads on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.