2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Elken
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from a geographical location or an archaic given name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Elken. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elken 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Elken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elken
The surname ELKEN has its origins in the Germanic language family, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northwestern regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in the areas around the Lower Rhine and Westphalia.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in a manuscript dating back to the 13th century, where it appears as "Elken." This spelling suggests a possible connection to the Old German word "elk," which referred to a type of large deer or moose. It is plausible that the name may have originally been a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near or hunted these animals.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records with slight variations in spelling, such as "Elcken" and "Elcken." These variations likely resulted from regional dialectal differences and the inconsistencies in written records during that time period.
One notable individual bearing the surname ELKEN was Hans Elken, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he played a significant role in the governance of the city and was involved in trade with neighboring regions.
As the centuries passed, the name spread beyond its original geographic boundaries, with individuals bearing the surname ELKEN found in various parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In the 17th century, there are records of an Elken family residing in the city of Hamburg, where they were engaged in various trades and professions.
Another prominent figure with the surname ELKEN was Johann Elken, a Lutheran theologian and scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He authored several influential works on theology and served as a professor at the University of Rostock.
In the 19th century, the name ELKEN appears in records from the Netherlands, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have migrated or had ancestral ties to the Low Countries. One example is Willem Elken, a Dutch painter and artist who was active in the mid-19th century and known for his landscapes and cityscapes.
While the surname ELKEN is not among the most common surnames in the world, it has left its mark on history through the contributions of individuals who bore this name in various fields, from commerce and governance to academia and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elken
Among Census respondents with the surname Elken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Elken 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 Elken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elken
Elken 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-48 bearers (-32.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 49,104 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -48 bearers (-32.0%) | Down 49,104 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Elken 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elken bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Elken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elken?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Elken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Elken?
Elken ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Elken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Elken.
Has Elken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elken went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Elken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Elken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Elken (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 Elken mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from a geographical location or an archaic given name. 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 Elken (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 common is the surname Elken?
Want to know how common the surname Elken is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.