2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elerby
A locational surname derived from locations like Ellerby in Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Elerby. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elerby 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Elerby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elerby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and White (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elerby
The surname Elerby is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Ellerby, which was an old English settlement located in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Elerby can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry refers to a landowner named Ailric de Elrebi, which is considered to be an early variant spelling of the modern surname.
The name Elerby is thought to have been derived from the Old English words "ælor" meaning "alder tree" and "by" meaning "farmstead" or "settlement." This suggests that the original place name Ellerby likely referred to a settlement near or surrounded by alder trees.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Elerby was Robert de Elerby, who served as a canon of York Minster and was appointed as the Bishop of Durham in 1285. He held this position until his death in 1310.
Another historical figure was William Elerby, a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire who lived during the 15th century. Records indicate that he owned substantial property in the village of Elerby and surrounding areas.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Royalist soldier named John Elerby fought for King Charles I. He was captured by Parliamentarian forces at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644 and subsequently imprisoned.
In the 18th century, a renowned botanist named Thomas Elerby (1714-1789) made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Yorkshire. He authored several treatises on the local flora and is credited with discovering several new species of wildflowers.
Another notable individual was Elizabeth Elerby (1832-1902), a prominent philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire. She established several charitable organizations and schools in the region, dedicating her life to improving the lives of the underprivileged.
Throughout its history, the surname Elerby has undergone various spelling variations, such as Ellerby, Ellerbee, and Ellerbie, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain firmly rooted in the ancient settlement of Ellerby in Yorkshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elerby
Among Census respondents with the surname Elerby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and White (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Elerby 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 Elerby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.7% · 94
- Two or more races9.6% · 11
- White4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elerby
Elerby appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 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 Elerby 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 | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elerby bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Elerby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elerby?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Elerby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Elerby?
Elerby ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Elerby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Elerby.
Has Elerby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elerby went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Elerby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elerby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and White (4.3%). 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 Elerby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elerby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.7%), Two or More Races (9.6%), White (4.3%). 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 Elerby (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 Elerby mean?
A locational surname derived from locations like Ellerby in Yorkshire, England. 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 Elerby (0.04 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 Elerby?
If you just want to know how many people are called Elerby, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.