2000
#1,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,230
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.13
Uncommon Last name
Eddy
Derived from a medieval given name based on the Old English term "ēad," meaning "prosperity" or "fortune."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,541 Americans carry the last name Eddy. That puts it at #1,876 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eddy 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 Eddy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,912
Census rank
#1,876
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,785 bearers of the surname Eddy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1876th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eddy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eddy
The surname EDDY originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English given name Eadwig or Ædwine, meaning "prosperous friend" or "prosperous guardian." The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in the east of England.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the name Eadwig or similar variations. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of the country by the late 11th century.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as Eddy, Edye, and Eddye. These early forms of the surname were often associated with place names, such as Eddisbury in Cheshire and Eddington in Wiltshire, indicating that some bearers of the name derived their surnames from the locations where they lived or held land.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Eddy was Sir John Eddy, a prominent landowner and military commander who lived in the late 14th century. He served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Somerset for his service.
During the Tudor period, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Sir William Eddy (c. 1490-1555), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament and held estates in Wiltshire.
In the 17th century, Samuel Eddy (1608-1676) was a notable English-born Puritan settler who emigrated to New England and became one of the founders of the town of Watertown, Massachusetts. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in colonial America.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), the founder of the Christian Science movement. Born Mary Morse Baker in New Hampshire, she adopted the surname Eddy after marrying her third husband, Asa Gilbert Eddy.
Throughout history, the Eddy surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, politicians, scientists, and religious figures. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse histories and journeys of those who have carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eddy
Among Census respondents with the surname Eddy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eddy 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 Eddy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 16,591
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 657
- Two or more races3.3% · 621
- Black or African American3.1% · 583
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 193
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 140
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eddy
Eddy 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
#1,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,321
+91 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 6.55
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#1,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,785
-536 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 6.28
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,710 | 19,230 | 7.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,858 | 19,321 | 6.55 | +91 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #1,876 | 18,785 | 6.28 | -536 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 18 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 Eddy 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 | #1,858 | #1,876 | -1.0% |
| Count | 19,321 | 18,785 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.55 | 6.28 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eddy bearers went from 19,321 to 18,785 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,858 to #1,876.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Eddy
FAQ
Eddy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eddy?
Name Census estimates that about 21,541 living Americans carry the surname Eddy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,912 residents.
How common is Eddy?
Eddy ranks #1,876 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,785 people with the surname Eddy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Eddy.
Has Eddy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eddy went from 19,321 recorded bearers to 18,785. That is a decrease of 536 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,858 to #1,876.
What does the Census say about the background of Eddy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eddy, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eddy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (16,591 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eddy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Eddy (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 Eddy mean?
Derived from a medieval given name based on the Old English term "ēad," meaning "prosperity" or "fortune." 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 Eddy (6.28 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 have the surname Eddy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.