2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Elhart
An occupational surname derived from a combination of "elm" and "hart," likely referring to a forester or hunter in an elm forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Elhart. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elhart 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Elhart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elhart
The surname ELHART has its origins tracing back to the German territories of central Europe during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old German words "elch" meaning elk or moose, and "hart" meaning brave or hardy. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who was considered a skilled or courageous hunter of these large animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ELHART name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century relating to the region of Saxony. An entry from 1267 mentions a landowner named Heinrich Elhart who held property near the town of Meissen. This provides evidence that the name was already established and in use among the German nobility during this era.
Throughout the following centuries, the ELHART name appeared sporadically in various records across German-speaking regions. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann Elhart, a master woodcarver from Nuremberg who lived from 1492 to 1555 and created intricate works for churches and wealthy patrons. In the 17th century, a Benedictine monk named Brother Matthias Elhart gained recognition for his skill as an illuminator of sacred manuscripts at the Abbey of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
As the name spread and evolved over time, variations in spelling and regional dialects led to forms such as Elhard, Elhart, and Elhard. Some of these versions may have also derived from place names or locations where branches of the family resided. For instance, the village of Elharten in Bavaria could potentially be linked to the surname's origins.
Other significant figures with the ELHART name include:
1) Christoph Elhart (1639-1711), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony.
2) Maria Elhart (1776-1855), an Austrian painter renowned for her portraits and religious works during the Biedermeier period.
3) Otto Elhart (1867-1923), a German engineer and entrepreneur who founded a successful manufacturing company in Berlin.
4) Erich Elhart (1898-1964), a noted German geographer and explorer who led expeditions to remote regions of Africa and Asia.
5) Helene Elhart (1920-2005), an Austrian writer and playwright whose works often explored themes of identity and displacement in the aftermath of World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elhart
Among Census respondents with the surname Elhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Elhart 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 Elhart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 5
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elhart
Elhart 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+6 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,335 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 3,335 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Elhart 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elhart bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Elhart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elhart?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Elhart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Elhart?
Elhart ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Elhart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Elhart.
Has Elhart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elhart went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Elhart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elhart, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Elhart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elhart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Elhart (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 Elhart mean?
An occupational surname derived from a combination of "elm" and "hart," likely referring to a forester or hunter in an elm forest. 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 Elhart (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 people share the surname Elhart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.