2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Eliav
A Hebrew surname meaning "my God is father".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Eliav. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eliav 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Eliav in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eliav, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eliav
The surname ELIAV is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Eliav, which means "God is father." It is believed to have first appeared in ancient Israel, particularly among the Jewish communities in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELIAV can be found in the Book of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a prominent leader from the tribe of Reuben. This biblical reference suggests that the name has been in use for several millennia.
During the Middle Ages, the ELIAV surname likely spread throughout the Jewish diaspora as Jews dispersed from the Holy Land to various parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region. Records from this period, such as medieval census documents and rabbinical writings, may contain references to individuals bearing this surname.
In the 16th century, the ELIAV surname can be found in the writings of renowned Jewish scholars and rabbis, such as Rabbi Eliyahu Eliav, a prominent Kabbalist from Safed, Israel, who lived from 1520 to 1587.
Another notable figure with the ELIAV surname was Raphael Eliav, a 17th-century Italian Jewish poet and philosopher from Modena, Italy, who lived from 1660 to 1730. His works explored themes of Jewish mysticism and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the ELIAV surname gained prominence in Eastern Europe, particularly in regions with significant Jewish populations, such as Poland and Russia. One notable bearer of the name was Yehoshua Eliav, a Jewish activist and writer from Vilna, Lithuania, who lived from 1820 to 1892 and played a significant role in the promotion of Jewish education and culture.
Another influential figure with the ELIAV surname was Chaim Eliav, an Israeli politician and military leader who lived from 1912 to 1988. He served as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Israeli Air Force.
While the ELIAV surname has its roots in ancient Israel, it has since spread to Jewish communities around the world, with bearers of this name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eliav
Among Census respondents with the surname Eliav, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Eliav 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 Eliav surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eliav
Eliav appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+16 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 15,947 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 Eliav 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 | #160,975 | #145,028 | 9.9% |
| Count | 100 | 116 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eliav bearers went from 100 to 116 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 15,947 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,028.
FAQ
Eliav surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eliav?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Eliav. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Eliav?
Eliav ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Eliav. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Eliav.
Has Eliav become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eliav went from 100 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 16 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Eliav?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eliav, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Eliav in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eliav appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Eliav (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 Eliav mean?
A Hebrew surname meaning "my God is father". 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 Eliav (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 have the last name Eliav?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Eliav on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.