Find out how popular the last name Ehlert is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ehlert.

Ehlert, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ehlert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ehlert in America

Ehlert is the 12003rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ehlert surname appeared 2,602 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ehlert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ehlert to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ehlert

The surname Ehlert is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "egilhart," which means "hard as a boar" or "strong as a boar." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who possessed strength and courage akin to that of a wild boar.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ehlert can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Hamburg, dating back to the 14th century. These records document individuals with variations of the name, such as Egelhart, Egilhart, and Eylhart, among others. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Ehlert (c. 1510-1581) was a German theologian and reformer from Lübeck. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther. Another individual from this period was Valentin Ehlert (c. 1550-1625), a German composer and organist who served in various churches in Hamburg and Lübeck.

During the 17th century, a prominent family with the surname Ehlert emerged in the city of Lüneburg, Lower Saxony. This family produced several notable individuals, including Johann Ehlert (1615-1688), a respected jurist and mayor of Lüneburg, and his son, Gottfried Ehlert (1652-1717), who followed in his father's footsteps and became a prominent lawyer and city councilor.

In the 18th century, the name Ehlert gained further recognition with the birth of Christoph Daniel Ehlert (1746-1827), a German writer and philosopher who authored several influential works on ethics and aesthetics. Another notable figure from this period was Johann Gottfried Ehlert (1770-1834), a German composer and music theorist who contributed significantly to the development of musical education in Germany.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several distinguished individuals bearing the surname Ehlert, including Louis Ehlert (1825-1884), a German composer, music critic, and influential pedagogue who made significant contributions to the development of piano instruction and pedagogy. Additionally, Alfred Ehlert (1835-1895) was a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape and genre paintings, as well as his illustrations for popular German literature of the time.

Throughout its history, the surname Ehlert has been associated with individuals from various professions, including theologians, composers, jurists, philosophers, and artists. While the name originated in northern Germany, it has since spread to other regions and countries, reflecting the mobility and migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ehlert

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ehlert.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ehlert was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ehlert has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ehlert was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ehlert, please contact us.

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