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

Elfers, 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 Elfers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elfers in America

Elfers is the 39164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elfers surname appeared 562 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 Elfers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elfers 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 Elfers

The surname Elfers is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the northern region near the North Sea coast. It is thought to have emerged sometime in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One theory suggests that the name Elfers may be derived from the Old German word "alf," which referred to a small river or stream. This could indicate that the earliest bearers of this surname lived near a waterway or settlement associated with a small river. Another possibility is that the name is related to the German word "elfe," meaning elf or sprite, perhaps referring to someone with a mischievous or whimsical personality.

While there are no known historical references to the Elfers surname in major records like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in German church records and local archives from the 16th and 17th centuries. These early records often show variations in spelling, such as Elffer, Elffers, or Elfer.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Elfers surname was Hans Elfers, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Lübeck, Germany, in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Johann Elfers, a Lutheran theologian and writer who was born in Rostock, Germany, in 1598 and published several works on religious subjects.

In the 18th century, a notable Elfers was Johann Gottfried Elfers, a German composer and organist who lived from 1734 to 1804. He was known for his compositions for keyboard instruments and his work as an organist in various churches.

Another individual of note was Carl Friedrich Elfers, a German botanist and naturalist who lived from 1792 to 1863. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and published several works on the flora of his native region.

In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the Elfers surname was Theodor Elfers, a German-American artist and illustrator who was born in 1878 and died in 1958. He is particularly renowned for his illustrations in children's books and his work for magazines and advertising campaigns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elfers

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

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

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

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