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

Elgan, 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 Elgan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elgan in America

Elgan is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elgan surname appeared 163 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 Elgan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elgan 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 Elgan

The surname Elgan originated in Wales, deriving from the Welsh personal name Elgan, which is itself a form of the Latin name Hilarius, meaning "cheerful" or "merry." This name was particularly popular in medieval Wales and can be traced back to the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elgan appears in the ancient Welsh genealogies, which document the lineage of various noble families. The name is mentioned in connection with the descendants of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, a powerful Welsh prince who ruled in the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname Elgan is found in various legal documents and charters from the Welsh Marches, the border region between Wales and England. These records often mention individuals such as Iorwerth Elgan and Madog Elgan, who were landowners or tenants in the area.

The Elgan surname is also associated with the historic town of Llangollen in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is believed that the name may have originated from this region, as the town's name derives from the Welsh words "llan" (church) and "Collen" (a form of the name Collen or Elgan).

One notable figure bearing the Elgan surname was Ieuan Elgan, a 16th-century Welsh poet and bard who lived during the Tudor period. His works are preserved in various manuscript collections and provide valuable insights into the literary traditions of medieval and Renaissance Wales.

Another prominent individual was Gruffydd Elgan, a Welsh landowner and military commander who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh Revolt against English rule in the early 15th century. Elgan was known for his bravery and loyalty to the Welsh cause.

In the 17th century, the Elgan surname can be found in parish records and legal documents from various parts of Wales, particularly in the counties of Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. One notable figure from this period was William Elgan, a Welsh clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Llangynwyd in Glamorganshire.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several members of the Elgan family emigrated from Wales to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia. One such individual was John Elgan, who was born in Pembrokeshire in 1795 and later settled in Ontario, Canada, where he became a successful farmer and landowner.

While the Elgan surname is relatively uncommon today, it remains an important part of the rich cultural heritage of Wales, reflecting the country's ancient linguistic and historical traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elgan

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!