2000
#19,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Elamin
A surname derived from the Arabic term "al-amin" meaning trustworthy or honest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,062 Americans carry the last name Elamin. That puts it at #15,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elamin 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 Elamin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,224
Census rank
#15,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,798 bearers of the surname Elamin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elamin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elamin
The surname ELAMIN originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have first appeared in the Middle East region during the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "Al-Amin," which means "the trustworthy" or "the faithful." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or title given to individuals who were regarded as trustworthy or faithful within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ELAMIN can be found in historical documents from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories in the Middle East and North Africa between the 8th and 13th centuries. During this period, the name appeared in various administrative records and chronicles, often associated with prominent scholars, administrators, or military figures.
In the 11th century, an influential Islamic scholar and jurist named Abu Bakr al-Amin al-Turtushi, born in Tortosa, modern-day Spain, gained recognition for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence. He was known for his extensive writings on legal matters and his expertise in the Maliki school of Islamic law.
Another notable figure with the surname ELAMIN was Nur al-Din Ali ibn Shihab al-Amin, a 13th-century Islamic scholar and poet from Damascus, Syria. He was renowned for his literary works and his mastery of Arabic language and literature.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Middle East and parts of Europe, the surname ELAMIN continued to be used by individuals of Arabic descent. One such individual was Mehmed Emin Amin, a 19th-century Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of the Ottoman Empire from 1867 to 1871.
In the modern era, the surname ELAMIN has spread across various regions, particularly in countries with significant Arab populations. One notable figure was Idris El Amin, a Sudanese diplomat and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Sudan from 1986 to 1988.
While the surname ELAMIN has its roots in the Middle East, it has since been adopted by individuals of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, particularly those with connections to the Arabic language or culture. The name continues to carry the connotation of trustworthiness and faithfulness, reflecting its historical origins and the values associated with it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elamin
Among Census respondents with the surname Elamin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Elamin 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 Elamin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.7% · 1,558
- Two or more races5.5% · 99
- White4.1% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elamin
Elamin 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
#16,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,716
+401 bearers (+30.5%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 2,441 places
2020
#15,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,798
+82 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 1,047 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,128 | 1,315 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,687 | 1,716 | 0.58 | +401 bearers (+30.5%) | Up 2,441 places |
| 2020 | #15,640 | 1,798 | 0.60 | +82 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 1,047 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 Elamin 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 | #16,687 | #15,640 | 6.3% |
| Count | 1,716 | 1,798 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.60 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elamin bearers went from 1,716 to 1,798 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 1,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,687 to #15,640.
FAQ
Elamin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elamin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,062 living Americans carry the surname Elamin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,224 residents.
How common is Elamin?
Elamin ranks #15,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,798 people with the surname Elamin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Elamin.
Has Elamin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elamin went from 1,716 recorded bearers to 1,798. That is an increase of 82 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,687 to #15,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Elamin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elamin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elamin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (1,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elamin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.7%), Two or More Races (5.5%), White (4.1%). 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 Elamin (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 Elamin mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic term "al-amin" meaning trustworthy or honest. 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 Elamin (0.60 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 many people share the surname Elamin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.