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

Elek, 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 Elek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elek in America

Elek is the 44653rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elek surname appeared 481 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 Elek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elek 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 Elek

The surname Elek is of Hungarian origin, tracing its roots back to the 11th century when the Magyar tribes settled in the Carpathian Basin. It is believed to be derived from the old Hungarian word "Elek," which means "alive" or "lively."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elek can be found in the Regestrum Varadiense, a 13th-century legal document from the Diocese of Várad (modern-day Oradea, Romania). This document mentions an individual named "Elek de Simand" in 1219.

During the Middle Ages, the name Elek was particularly prevalent in the regions of Transylvania and the Great Hungarian Plain. It was often associated with landowners and noble families, suggesting a possible connection to the landed gentry.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent Hungarian nobleman named Elek Rákóczi, who served as the Voivode (ruler) of Transylvania between 1455 and 1456. His descendants, the Rákóczi family, played a significant role in Hungarian history for several centuries.

Another notable figure with the surname Elek was János Elek (1663-1710), a Hungarian Calvinist pastor and writer. He is best known for his work "Murányi Vénus" (Venus of Murány), a historical novel published in 1702, which is considered one of the earliest examples of Hungarian prose fiction.

In the 19th century, the name Elek gained further recognition with the birth of Béla Elek (1873-1966), a renowned Hungarian writer and educator. He was a prolific author of children's books and folktales, contributing greatly to the preservation of Hungarian folklore and literature.

Another prominent individual with the surname Elek was Gusztáv Elek (1889-1956), a Hungarian politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary from 1939 to 1941 and played a crucial role in Hungary's foreign policy during the turbulent years of World War II.

The name Elek has also been associated with various place names in Hungary, such as Elek (a town in Békés County), Elekpuszta (a village in Fejér County), and Elek Hill (a geographic feature in Budapest).

While the surname Elek is not as common as some other Hungarian surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable figures throughout the centuries, contributing to the cultural and political landscapes of Hungary and the broader region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elek

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

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

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

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