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

Elder, 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 Elder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elder in America

Elder is the 1186th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elder surname appeared 29,796 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Elder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elder 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 Elder

The surname Elder is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ældra," meaning "ancestor" or "elder." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.

The name was initially used as a descriptive term to refer to individuals who held positions of authority or respected elders within their communities. It is likely that the name first appeared in areas where Old English was spoken, such as the counties of Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elder can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including "Eldere" and "Eldered."

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named William Elder was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were legal records documenting financial transactions and land ownership. He was likely a landowner or an influential individual in the region.

During the 14th century, the surname Elder was associated with the village of Eldryd, located in the county of Wiltshire. This place name was derived from the Old English words "ældra" and "ryd," meaning "elder's clearing."

One notable individual with the surname Elder was John Elder (c. 1553-1614), a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh. He played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the name Elder was also found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America, indicating that individuals with this surname had emigrated from England to the New World.

Another prominent figure was Sir Matthew Elder (1659-1734), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist. He was instrumental in establishing the University of Glasgow's medical school and contributed significantly to the city's development.

In the 18th century, William Elder (1720-1786) was a renowned Scottish minister and academic. He served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and was a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Glasgow.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Elder (1824-1869), a Scottish marine engineer and shipbuilder. He founded the renowned Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, which played a crucial role in the development of the British shipbuilding industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elder

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

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

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

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