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

Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elizabeth in America

Elizabeth is the 38439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elizabeth surname appeared 576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Elizabeth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth

The surname "Elizabeth" is derived from the ancient Hebrew name "Elisheba" or "Elisheva", which means "God is my oath" or "God is my abundance". It originated as a personal name among the Israelites and later spread to various parts of Europe during the Middle Ages.

The name "Elizabeth" first appeared in England around the 12th century, brought by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was initially spelled as "Elisabet" or "Elizabet" and was a popular name among the English nobility. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Elizabeta".

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name "Elizabeth" became increasingly common in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Gloucestershire. It was often associated with place names such as Elizabeth's Town or Elizabeth's Field, which later evolved into surnames.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "Elizabeth" was Sir John Elizabeth, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 14th century. Other prominent figures included Sir Thomas Elizabeth, a prominent soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), and Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492), the Queen consort of England as the wife of King Edward IV.

In the 16th century, the surname "Elizabeth" gained further prominence with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), who ruled England from 1558 to 1603. During this period, the name became closely associated with the English monarchy and was widely adopted by families across the country.

Another notable individual with the surname "Elizabeth" was Sir Walter Elizabeth (1552-1618), an English explorer and navigator who played a significant role in the early colonization of North America. He was knighted by King James I in 1603 for his services to the crown.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname "Elizabeth" continued to be well-represented in various parts of England, particularly among the gentry and landed families. Prominent individuals included Sir Edward Elizabeth (1645-1721), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament, and Sir John Elizabeth (1677-1744), a distinguished naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession.

As the British Empire expanded during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname "Elizabeth" spread to various parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Individuals with this surname contributed to various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elizabeth

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!