NameCensus.

UK surname

Eckhardt

A German surname derived from the given name Eckhard, meaning "strong edge" or "brave edge."

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Eckhardt surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eckhardt is 146 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 225.0%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2015

146 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eckhardt had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Eckhardt surname distribution map

The map shows where the Eckhardt surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Eckhardt surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eckhardt over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 34 #31,604
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 122 #24,366
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 138 #24,801
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Eckhardts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield and Sevenoaks. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 049 Sheffield
2 Sheffield 064 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 076 Sheffield
4 Sheffield 053 Sheffield
5 Sevenoaks 002 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eckhardt

These lists show first names that appear often with the Eckhardt surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eckhardt

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Eckhardt, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Eckhardt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Eckhardt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Eckhardt is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Eckhardt is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Eckhardt falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Eckhardt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Eckhardt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Eckhardt

The surname ECKHARDT is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German words "ekka," meaning "edge" or "corner," and "hart," meaning "brave" or "hardy." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on the edge of a settlement, perhaps a brave or hardy individual living on the outskirts.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as "Eckhart," "Eckehart," and "Eckhardus" appearing in various historical documents and records from that time. One notable early bearer of the name was Meister Eckhart, a renowned German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who lived from around 1260 to 1328.

In the 14th century, the name Eckhardt appeared in the "Codex Hirsaugiensis," a historical manuscript from the Hirsau Abbey in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This document recorded the names of individuals who held various positions within the abbey and surrounding areas.

During the 16th century, the name Eckhardt was associated with several prominent figures, including Johann Eckhardt (1492-1557), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry, and Jakob Eckhardt (1516-1586), a German composer and organist known for his work in the Lutheran tradition.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Eckhardt (1736-1817) was a German historian and philologist who specialized in the study of ancient Germanic languages and literature. His work played a crucial role in the development of modern German philology.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Friedrich Eckhardt (1766-1834), a German writer and educator who authored several works on education and pedagogy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Throughout its history, the surname Eckhardt has been associated with various notable individuals from different fields, including academics, artists, and professionals. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eckhardt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eckhardt surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 17 Eckhardts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.96x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 3.96x
Yorkshire 13 3.06x
Lancashire 6 1.18x
Sussex 5 6.91x
Surrey 2 0.96x
Devon 1 1.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 13 Eckhardts recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.01x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 13 96.01x
Hammersmith London 6 56.76x
Kensington London 6 25.15x
Brighton 5 34.25x
Hulme 5 47.04x
St Pancras London 5 14.48x
Kenton 1 357.14x
Lambeth 1 2.67x
Manchester 1 4.37x
Wimbledon 1 42.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Eckhardt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Eckhardt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Charles 7
Alfred 2
William 2
Adolphus 1
Albert 1
Gustave 1
Henry 1
Heny 1
Jacob 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Oscar 1
Philip 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Eckhardt households.

FAQ

Eckhardt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eckhardt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Eckhardt surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eckhardt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Eckhardt a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Eckhardt surname mean?

A German surname derived from the given name Eckhard, meaning "strong edge" or "brave edge."

What does the Eckhardt map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Eckhardt bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.