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

Elie, 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 Elie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elie in America

Elie is the 11395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elie surname appeared 2,767 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Elie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elie 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 Elie

The surname Elie originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of Normandy and Brittany, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Elye," which itself is a variant of the Biblical name "Elijah." The name Elijah has Hebrew origins and means "my God is Yahweh."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elie can be found in the Doomsday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Elie" in various entries, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname were present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Elie was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where it was often associated with noble families and landowners. One notable individual was Raoul Elie, a Norman knight who participated in the First Crusade (1096-1099) and was among the first to scale the walls of Jerusalem during its capture in 1099.

In the 13th century, a branch of the Elie family established itself in Scotland, where the name was anglicized to "Ely." Sir William Ely (c. 1260-1325) was a prominent Scottish nobleman and military leader who served under King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another notable figure was Jean Elie (1493-1546), a French Protestant theologian and scholar who played a significant role in the Reformation. He was among the first to translate the Bible into French and was later exiled for his religious beliefs.

During the Renaissance period, the Elie surname was associated with several influential artists and intellectuals. One such individual was Claude Elie (1558-1637), a French architect and engineer who designed numerous notable buildings in Paris, including parts of the Louvre Palace.

In the 18th century, Louis Elie de Beaumont (1728-1786) was a renowned French geologist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the understanding of Earth's geological history and the classification of minerals.

Throughout history, the surname Elie has been spelled in various ways, including Ely, Elyee, and Elye, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. While the name has roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elie

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

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

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

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