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

Elefant, 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 Elefant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elefant in America

Elefant is the 86981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elefant surname appeared 214 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 Elefant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elefant 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 Elefant

The surname Elefant has its origins in Germany, where it emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Elefant," which means "elephant." This suggests that the name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who had a connection to elephants or exhibited characteristics associated with the animal, such as strength or size.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elefant can be found in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1387, which mentions a certain "Hans Elefant." This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 14th century.

Another early reference to the name comes from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a record from 1492 mentions a "Kunz Elefant." This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Germany by the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records across German-speaking regions, such as the Holy Roman Empire. One notable example is Johann Elefant, a scholar and theologian who lived from 1515 to 1584 and was a professor at the University of Wittenberg.

During the 17th century, the name Elefant can be found in records from cities like Hamburg and Berlin. One prominent individual from this period was Hans Elefant, a merchant and ship owner from Hamburg who lived from 1632 to 1697.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be present in German-speaking areas, with individuals like Johann Elefant, a physician from Nuremberg who lived from 1712 to 1781, and Christoph Elefant, a writer and poet from Berlin who lived from 1746 to 1810.

Over time, the Elefant surname also spread to other regions through migration and social mobility. For instance, in the 19th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Elefant living in areas like Austria and Switzerland.

While the name Elefant is primarily associated with Germany, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, when it was likely given as a descriptive nickname or reference to someone's connection with elephants. The name has persisted through various historical periods and has been carried by notable figures in fields such as academia, commerce, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elefant

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

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

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

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