2000
#10,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Elgin
From a place name derived from Gaelic "Eilginn," meaning "little Ireland," referring to an Irish settlement in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,047 Americans carry the last name Elgin. That puts it at #11,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,489 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elgin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Elgin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,489
Census rank
#11,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,657 bearers of the surname Elgin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elgin
The surname Elgin originated in Scotland and traces its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the town of Elgin, the former ecclesiastical capital of Moray, located in the northeast of Scotland. The town's name itself comes from the Pictish word "ελλεν," meaning "by the river."
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Elgin can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, dating back to 1264, where an individual named Gilbertus de Elgyn is mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Scottish Crown and provide valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living during that time.
The name Elgin has a strong historical connection to the Elgin Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Ghost. This magnificent cathedral, founded in the 13th century, was one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic architecture in Scotland. Its construction and subsequent restoration efforts were closely tied to the Elgin family and their descendants.
In the 14th century, Robert Elgin (1310-1367) was a prominent Scottish cleric who served as the Bishop of Moray from 1350 until his death. He played a significant role in the reconstruction of the Elgin Cathedral after it suffered extensive damage during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Elgin was Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (1766-1841), a Scottish nobleman and diplomat. He is best known for his controversial acquisition of the Elgin Marbles, a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, which he brought to Britain from the Parthenon in Athens. This collection is now housed in the British Museum and has been a subject of ongoing debate regarding its rightful ownership.
Sir Ralph Abercromby Elgin (1857-1920), a British colonial administrator and diplomat, served as the Governor-General of India from 1894 to 1899. His tenure was marked by significant administrative reforms and efforts to promote education and infrastructure development in the country.
The surname Elgin has also been associated with various place names, such as Elgin County in Ontario, Canada, and Elgin, Illinois, in the United States. These locations were likely named after the Scottish town or in honor of individuals bearing the Elgin surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elgin
Among Census respondents with the surname Elgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Elgin 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 Elgin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 2,313
- Black or African American5.2% · 139
- Two or more races3.0% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elgin
Elgin 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
#10,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,036
+67 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 542 places
2020
#11,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,657
-379 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,013 | 2,969 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,555 | 3,036 | 1.03 | +67 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 542 places |
| 2020 | #11,348 | 2,657 | 0.89 | -379 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 793 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 Elgin 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 | #10,555 | #11,348 | -7.5% |
| Count | 3,036 | 2,657 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.89 | -13.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elgin bearers went from 3,036 to 2,657 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 793 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,555 to #11,348.
FAQ
Elgin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elgin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,047 living Americans carry the surname Elgin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,489 residents.
How common is Elgin?
Elgin ranks #11,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,657 people with the surname Elgin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,047), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Elgin.
Has Elgin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elgin went from 3,036 recorded bearers to 2,657. That is a decrease of 379 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,555 to #11,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Elgin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elgin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Elgin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (2,313 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elgin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Elgin (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 Elgin mean?
From a place name derived from Gaelic "Eilginn," meaning "little Ireland," referring to an Irish settlement in Scotland. 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 Elgin (0.89 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 Elgin?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Elgin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.