2000
#39,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 526
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Rare Last name
Elizabeth
From the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "God is my oath".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,331 Americans carry the last name Elizabeth. That puts it at #22,666 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 257,516 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 257,516
Census rank
#22,666
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,161 bearers of the surname Elizabeth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22666th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizabeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Black (12.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elizabeth
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizabeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Black (12.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.6% · 692
- Hispanic or Latino21.6% · 251
- Black or African American12.3% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 51
- Two or more races1.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elizabeth
Elizabeth 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
#38,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 576
+50 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 939 places
2020
#22,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,161
+585 bearers (+101.6%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 15,773 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,378 | 526 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,439 | 576 | 0.20 | +50 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 939 places |
| 2020 | #22,666 | 1,161 | 0.39 | +585 bearers (+101.6%) | Up 15,773 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 Elizabeth 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 | #38,439 | #22,666 | 41.0% |
| Count | 576 | 1,161 | 101.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.39 | 94.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elizabeth bearers went from 576 to 1,161 (+101.6% change). The surname moved up 15,773 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,439 to #22,666.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elizabeth
FAQ
Elizabeth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elizabeth?
Name Census estimates that about 1,331 living Americans carry the surname Elizabeth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 257,516 residents.
How common is Elizabeth?
Elizabeth ranks #22,666 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,161 people with the surname Elizabeth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Elizabeth.
Has Elizabeth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elizabeth went from 576 recorded bearers to 1,161. That is an increase of 585 (+101.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,439 to #22,666.
What does the Census say about the background of Elizabeth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elizabeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Black (12.3%). 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 Elizabeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (692 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elizabeth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.6%), Hispanic (21.6%), Black (12.3%). 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 Elizabeth (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 Elizabeth mean?
From the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "God is my oath". 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 Elizabeth (0.39 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 Americans have the surname Elizabeth?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.