2000
#2,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,776
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.11
Uncommon Last name
Elam
From a place name derived from the ancient kingdom of Elam, located in present-day southwestern Iran.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,413 Americans carry the last name Elam. That puts it at #2,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elam 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 Elam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,238
Census rank
#2,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,441 bearers of the surname Elam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elam, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elam
The surname ELAM is believed to have originated in England, tracing its roots back to the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the town of Elmham in Norfolk, England, which was recorded as "Elham" in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name itself likely stems from the Old English words "elm" and "ham," meaning "homestead or village by the elm trees."
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname ELAM was Walter de Elham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199. This suggests that the name had already been established by that time, with individuals taking their surnames from the place they were born or resided.
In the 14th century, records show a John de Elham serving as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1332. This indicates that the ELAM family had already gained some prominence in the region by that period.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Elam, Elham, and Ellam, reflecting the variations in spelling common at the time. One notable individual was Thomas Elam (1515-1586), an English Protestant clergyman who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1581 until his death.
The surname ELAM also found its way across the Atlantic to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Benjamin Elam (1677-1743) was a prominent figure in colonial Virginia, serving as a member of the House of Burgesses and holding various other positions of authority.
Another notable bearer of the ELAM surname was Samuel Elam (1761-1810), an American soldier and politician who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a United States Representative from Tennessee.
Throughout history, the ELAM surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, politicians, soldiers, and more. While the name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elam
Among Census respondents with the surname Elam, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Elam 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 Elam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.8% · 8,706
- Black or African American26.3% · 3,536
- Two or more races4.6% · 612
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 406
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 78
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elam
Elam 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
#2,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,138
+362 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 4.79
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#2,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,441
-697 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 4.50
Rank movement Down 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,413 | 13,776 | 5.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,556 | 14,138 | 4.79 | +362 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #2,623 | 13,441 | 4.50 | -697 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 67 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 Elam 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 | #2,556 | #2,623 | -2.6% |
| Count | 14,138 | 13,441 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.79 | 4.50 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elam bearers went from 14,138 to 13,441 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,556 to #2,623.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elam
FAQ
Elam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elam?
Name Census estimates that about 15,413 living Americans carry the surname Elam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,238 residents.
How common is Elam?
Elam ranks #2,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,441 people with the surname Elam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Elam.
Has Elam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elam went from 14,138 recorded bearers to 13,441. That is a decrease of 697 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,556 to #2,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Elam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elam, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Elam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (8,706 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.8%), Black (26.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Elam (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 Elam mean?
From a place name derived from the ancient kingdom of Elam, located in present-day southwestern Iran. 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 Elam (4.50 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 common is the surname Elam?
Find out how many people are called Elam on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.