Explore the Family Name Eady

The meaning of Eady

English: from the Middle English and Scots personal name Edy, usually shortened forms of the female names Edive (Old English Ēadgifu, from ēad ‘prosperity’ + gifu ‘gift’) and Edith (Old English Ēadgȳth, from ēad ‘prosperity’ + gȳth ‘battle’), which became confused with each other. Edith remained in use as a personal name into the 14th century and beyond, and thus is the more likely source. Alternatively, Edy could sometimes represent Old English Ēadwīg (‘prosperity’ + ‘war’), or a pet form (with the -y suffix) of any of several male personal names with Ed-, particularly Edmund, which was much used in East Anglia throughout the medieval period.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Eady in the United States?

The surname Eady, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen slight changes in popularity over the last decade. In 2000, Eady was ranked as the 8,208th most popular surname and by 2010, it had slipped slightly to the 8,299th position – a decrease of 1.11%. However, the number of individuals carrying the Eady surname increased from 3,719 in 2000 to 3,992 in 2010, marking a growth of 7.34%. Despite the increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 2.17%, from 1.38 in 2000 to 1.35 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#8,208#8,299-1.11%
Count3,7193,9927.34%
Proportion per 100k1.381.35-2.17%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Eady

In terms of ethnic identity, the Eady surname has shown some shifts over the years based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of those with the Eady surname identified as Black, increasing from 48.99% in 2000 to 52.45% in 2010. The percentage identifying as White declined from 47.54% to 43.26%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained relatively stable at around 0.24% to 0.23%. There were increases among those identifying as two or more races (from 1.67% to 1.98%) and Hispanic (from 1.34% to 1.58%). The American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw the most significant increase, jumping from 0.22% in 2000 to 0.50% in 2010.

20002010Change
Black48.99%52.45%7.06%
White47.54%43.26%-9%
Two or More Races1.67%1.98%18.56%
Hispanic1.34%1.58%17.91%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.22%0.5%127.27%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.24%0.23%-4.17%