Elias
A surname of Greek origin meaning "Jehovah is God," derived from the Hebrew name Elijah.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,689 Americans carry the last name Elias. That puts it at #1,443 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elias surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
29K
1 in 11,947
Census rank
#1,443
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,696 bearers of the surname Elias in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1443rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Black (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elias
The surname Elias has its origins in the biblical Hebrew name Eliyahu, which means "my God is Yahweh" or "Jehovah is God." The name is derived from the Hebrew elements "El" meaning "God" and "Yah" which is a shortened form of the name Yahweh, the proper name for the God of Israel.
The Elias surname is primarily found in Europe, particularly in countries with significant Jewish populations, due to the biblical roots of the name. It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition in the late 15th century and settled in other parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Elias surname can be found in the Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik, Croatia) region in the 16th century, where a Jewish family by the name of Elias is mentioned in historical records.
In England, the name appears in the 17th century, with notable individuals such as John Elias (1590-1675), a Welsh Protestant minister and one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in Wales.
Throughout history, the Elias surname has been associated with several notable figures, including:
1. Caleb Elias (1767-1828), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.
2. Ney Elias (1844-1897), a British-born explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of the flora and fauna of South America.
3. Julius Elias (1861-1927), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as President of the Reichsgericht (Imperial Court of Justice) in Germany.
4. Maurice Elias (1867-1931), a French industrialist and one of the founders of the Citroën automobile company.
5. Michel Elias (1937-2019), a Lebanese-Brazilian artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.
The Elias surname has also been linked to various place names and geographical locations, such as the town of Elias in the state of Piauí, Brazil, and the Elias Mountains in southeastern Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elias
Among Census respondents with the surname Elias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Black (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elias bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Elias surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.1%
- White41.6%
- Black or African American4.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8%
- Two or more races1.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Elias surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,443 | #1,443 | 0.0% |
| Count | 24,696 | 24,696 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.37 | 8.37 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Elias bearers went from 24,696 to 24,696 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #1,443 to #1,443.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elias
FAQ
Elias surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Elias?
The surname Elias holds position #1,443 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 28,689 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 8.37 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Elias surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Black (4.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.