2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elfe
An occupational surname referring to someone who keeps elves or deals with elf-like creatures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Elfe. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elfe 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Elfe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elfe
The surname ELFE is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have first emerged in England during the 8th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ælf" or "elf," which originally referred to a supernatural creature or spirit from Germanic mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions an individual named Aelfric, which is a variant spelling of the name.
During the Middle Ages, the name ELFE was often associated with individuals who lived near forests or woodland areas, as these locations were thought to be inhabited by elves and other mythical creatures. In some cases, the name may have been given to those who were believed to have an affinity with nature or possess magical abilities.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Robert Elfe (c. 1210–1272), an English landowner and knight who participated in the Barons' War against King Henry III. Another early record is that of John Elfe (c. 1350–1415), a merchant and alderman in the city of London.
Other historical figures with the surname include William Elfe (c. 1470–1540), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Carlisle, and Elizabeth Elfe (c. 1520–1585), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist in Gloucestershire.
By the 16th century, the name had spread across various counties in England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often spelled in various ways, such as Elf, Elfe, Elff, and Elves, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation.
In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Elfe (1625–1692), a renowned military commander who served under Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. He was later appointed as the Governor of Tangier, a British territory in North Africa.
Another notable figure was Thomas Elfe (1665–1732), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London. His most famous work is the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand, which still stands today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elfe
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Elfe 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 Elfe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.9% · 58
- Black or African American36.8% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 9
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elfe
Elfe 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,999 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,999 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 8,412 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 Elfe 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 | #154,907 | #146,495 | 5.4% |
| Count | 105 | 114 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elfe bearers went from 105 to 114 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 8,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #146,495.
FAQ
Elfe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elfe?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Elfe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Elfe?
Elfe ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Elfe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Elfe.
Has Elfe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elfe went from 105 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 9 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Elfe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Hispanic (7.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elfe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.9% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elfe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.9%), Black (36.8%), Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Elfe (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 Elfe mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who keeps elves or deals with elf-like creatures. 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 Elfe (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 many Americans have the surname Elfe?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.