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

Ejiofor, 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 Ejiofor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ejiofor in America

Ejiofor is the 86314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ejiofor surname appeared 216 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ejiofor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ejiofor 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 Ejiofor

The surname Ejiofor is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Igbo ethnic group in the southeastern region of the country. It emerged during the late 15th century and has its roots in the Igbo language.

The name Ejiofor is derived from the Igbo words "eji" meaning "blood" and "ofor" meaning "covenant." Combined, the name translates to "blood covenant" or "blood agreement," suggesting a potential historical significance related to a pact or alliance sealed by blood.

Early records of the Ejiofor surname can be found in traditional Igbo oral histories, songs, and folklore, which often recounted tales of prominent families and lineages. Unfortunately, due to the oral nature of these sources, specific dates and details are scarce.

One of the earliest documented references to the Ejiofor name appears in a 19th-century British colonial record, where a man named Nnamdi Ejiofor is mentioned as a local chief in the town of Arochukwu, known for its role in the slave trade during that period.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Ejiofor surname. One of the most famous is Chinua Achebe (1930-2013), a renowned Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, widely regarded as the father of modern African literature. His groundbreaking novel "Things Fall Apart" (1958) explored the impact of colonialism on traditional Igbo society.

Another prominent figure with the Ejiofor surname is Chiwetel Ejiofor, a British actor of Nigerian descent born in 1977. He has received critical acclaim for his performances in films such as "12 Years a Slave" (2013), for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

In the realm of academia, Uchenna Ejiofor (born 1974) is a notable Nigerian-American scholar and professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on nanoscale devices and circuits.

Historically, variations in the spelling of the Ejiofor surname have been observed, including Ejiofor, Ejiofoh, and Ejiofor-Onu, with the latter potentially indicating a connection to a specific Igbo town or clan.

While the Ejiofor surname is primarily associated with the Igbo people of Nigeria, it has also gained recognition internationally through the accomplishments of individuals bearing this name in various fields, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Igbo ethnic group.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ejiofor

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

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 Ejiofor 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 Ejiofor 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 Ejiofor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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