2000
#4,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,062
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.62
Rare Last name
Eden
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pleasant place, such as a garden or valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,984 Americans carry the last name Eden. That puts it at #4,914 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,930 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eden 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 Eden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,930
Census rank
#4,914
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,962 bearers of the surname Eden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4914th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eden, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eden
The surname Eden is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "eden" meaning a "region of no man's land, open ground, or pasture." It likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone living in an unsettled or uncultivated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Edene." This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with place names containing the element "eden," such as Eden Hall in Westmorland and Eden Valley in Cumbria. These places likely derived their names from the Old English word, indicating their locations in open or uncultivated areas.
A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir Robert Eden (1521-1576), an English politician and landowner from County Durham. He served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Sheriff of Northumberland.
Another prominent figure was Sir Ashley Eden (1831-1887), a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal from 1877 to 1882. He played a crucial role in the development of colonial policies in India.
In the literary world, the name Eden is associated with Robert Eden (1741-1784), an English clergyman and author known for his work "The Principles of Penal Law." He contributed to the debate on criminal justice reform in the 18th century.
The surname also has a connection to the Eden family, a prominent English aristocratic family that traced their roots to County Durham. One notable member was Sir William Eden (1744-1814), a politician and diplomat who served as the British ambassador to several European courts.
Another individual worth mentioning is Charles Eden (1673-1722), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological and philosophical subjects. His works, such as "The State of the Dead," were influential in their time.
While the surname Eden has English origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by immigrants and settlers from Britain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eden
Among Census respondents with the surname Eden, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Eden 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 Eden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 5,779
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 392
- Black or African American5.1% · 356
- Two or more races4.3% · 301
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 57
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eden
Eden 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
#4,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,489
+427 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#4,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,962
-527 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,597 | 7,062 | 2.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,736 | 7,489 | 2.54 | +427 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #4,914 | 6,962 | 2.33 | -527 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 178 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 Eden 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 | #4,736 | #4,914 | -3.8% |
| Count | 7,489 | 6,962 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.54 | 2.33 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eden bearers went from 7,489 to 6,962 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,736 to #4,914.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Eden
FAQ
Eden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eden?
Name Census estimates that about 7,984 living Americans carry the surname Eden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,930 residents.
How common is Eden?
Eden ranks #4,914 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,962 people with the surname Eden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,984), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Eden.
Has Eden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eden went from 7,489 recorded bearers to 6,962. That is a decrease of 527 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,736 to #4,914.
What does the Census say about the background of Eden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eden, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (5.1%). 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 Eden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (5,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Hispanic (5.6%), Black (5.1%). 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 Eden (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 Eden mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a pleasant place, such as a garden or valley. 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 Eden (2.33 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 Eden?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.