2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Eliza
A feminine form of the Hebrew name Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Eliza. 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 Eliza 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 Eliza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Eliza 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 Eliza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and White (14.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eliza
The surname Eliza has its origins in the Hebrew name Elisheba, which means "God is my oath" or "God is abundance." This name was later rendered into Greek as Elisabet or Elisabeth, and eventually evolved into the English form Elizabeth. The surname Eliza is a shortened version of Elizabeth, likely derived from the pet name or nickname for the longer name.
Eliza is a name with a long and rich history, dating back to Biblical times. It is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth. In the Middle Ages, the name Elizabeth was particularly popular among European royalty and nobility, with several Queens and Princesses bearing the name.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname Eliza can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as a variant spelling of Elizabeth.
During the Renaissance period, the name Eliza gained further popularity, particularly in England. One notable figure was Eliza Craven (1750-1828), an English writer and traveler who authored several works, including the memoir "A Journey Through the Crimea to Constantinople."
In the 18th century, Eliza Haywood (1693-1756) was a prominent English writer and actress, known for her novels and plays. She is considered one of the pioneers of the novel form in English literature.
Another notable Eliza was Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722-1793), an American plantation owner and agriculturalist from South Carolina. She is credited with introducing the cultivation of indigo as a cash crop in the American colonies.
In the 19th century, Eliza Acton (1799-1859) was an English poet and culinary writer, best known for her influential cookbook "Modern Cookery for Private Families," which helped standardize recipes and cooking techniques.
Eliza Nauthville (1815-1897) was a Swedish author and feminist, who wrote extensively on women's rights and education. She is considered a pioneering figure in the Swedish women's movement.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Eliza, demonstrating its rich heritage and diverse origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eliza
Among Census respondents with the surname Eliza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and White (14.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Eliza 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 Eliza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino58.7% · 71
- Black or African American16.5% · 20
- White14.0% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.9% · 12
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eliza
Eliza 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-9 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,699 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 10,699 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 Eliza 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 | #130,610 | #141,309 | -8.2% |
| Count | 130 | 121 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eliza bearers went from 130 to 121 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 10,699 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #141,309.
FAQ
Eliza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eliza?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Eliza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Eliza?
Eliza 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 Eliza. 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 Eliza.
Has Eliza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eliza went from 130 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 9 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Eliza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eliza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (16.5%) and White (14.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Eliza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.7% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eliza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (58.7%), Black (16.5%), White (14.0%). 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 Eliza (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 Eliza mean?
A feminine form of the Hebrew name Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God". 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 Eliza (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 Eliza?
Want to know how many people are called Eliza? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.