2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elfner
A German surname derived from a Middle High German term for someone living beside an alder wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Elfner. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elfner 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Elfner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfner, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elfner
The surname Elfner is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name likely derives from the German word "Elfer," which means "eleven," suggesting a potential connection to families or professions associated with that number.
One of the earliest known references to the Elfner surname can be found in a 1568 document from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Elfner is mentioned as a member of the local guild of carpenters. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with skilled tradesmen or artisans in medieval Germany.
In the 17th century, the Elfner name appears in various church records and tax registers across Bavaria and other regions of southern Germany. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Elfner (1612-1679), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Augsburg, and Margarethe Elfner (1630-1701), a renowned herbalist and healer from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
As the centuries progressed, the Elfner surname spread to other parts of Europe, with some families immigrating to countries like Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as Russia. One notable figure from this era was Karl Elfner (1799-1876), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a city councilor in Berlin.
In the 19th century, the Elfner name can be found in various historical records and documents across central Europe. Johann Elfner (1820-1892), a Bavarian clockmaker, gained recognition for his intricate handcrafted timepieces, while Elise Elfner (1855-1932), a renowned soprano from Vienna, performed in opera houses across Europe and even made appearances in the United States.
As migration patterns shifted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some Elfner families ventured to new shores, with notable individuals like Otto Elfner (1868-1944), a German-American engineer who worked on the construction of iconic landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty's pedestal.
While the Elfner surname may not be as prevalent today as it once was in its regions of origin, it continues to carry a rich historical legacy, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elfner
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfner, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elfner 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 Elfner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elfner
Elfner 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,361 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 Elfner 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 | #138,304 | #148,665 | -7.5% |
| Count | 121 | 111 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elfner bearers went from 121 to 111 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,361 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #148,665.
FAQ
Elfner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elfner?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Elfner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Elfner?
Elfner ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Elfner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Elfner.
Has Elfner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elfner went from 121 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Elfner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elfner, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Elfner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elfner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Elfner (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 Elfner mean?
A German surname derived from a Middle High German term for someone living beside an alder wood. 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 Elfner (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 Elfner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.