2000
#12,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Elie
A French surname derived from the Old French word "eslit," meaning "chosen" or "selected."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,953 Americans carry the last name Elie. That puts it at #11,653 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elie 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 Elie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 116,070
Census rank
#11,653
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,575 bearers of the surname Elie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11653rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.1%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elie
Among Census respondents with the surname Elie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.1%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Elie 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 Elie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.4% · 1,529
- White29.1% · 750
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 155
- Two or more races4.4% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elie
Elie 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
#11,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,767
+558 bearers (+25.3%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 1,401 places
2020
#11,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,575
-192 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,796 | 2,209 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,395 | 2,767 | 0.94 | +558 bearers (+25.3%) | Up 1,401 places |
| 2020 | #11,653 | 2,575 | 0.86 | -192 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 258 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 Elie 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 | #11,395 | #11,653 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,767 | 2,575 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.86 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elie bearers went from 2,767 to 2,575 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 258 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,395 to #11,653.
FAQ
Elie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elie?
Name Census estimates that about 2,953 living Americans carry the surname Elie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,070 residents.
How common is Elie?
Elie ranks #11,653 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,575 people with the surname Elie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,953), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Elie.
Has Elie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elie went from 2,767 recorded bearers to 2,575. That is a decrease of 192 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,395 to #11,653.
What does the Census say about the background of Elie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.1%) and Hispanic (6.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.4% (1,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.4%), White (29.1%), Hispanic (6.0%). 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 Elie (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 Elie mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "eslit," meaning "chosen" or "selected." 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 Elie (0.86 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 Elie?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Elie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.