2000
#28,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 783
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Ellwanger
A German surname derived from the words "ell" meaning sharp and "wanger" meaning cheek, referring to a person with a sharp face or facial features.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 914 Americans carry the last name Ellwanger. That puts it at #31,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 375,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ellwanger 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
914
1 in 375,005
Census rank
#31,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
797
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 797 bearers of the surname Ellwanger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellwanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ellwanger
The surname Ellwanger is of German origin, derived from the Old High German words "ellono" meaning "forearm" and "wangar" meaning "field" or "meadow." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellwanger dates back to the 14th century, appearing in a document from the town of Augsburg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce during the Middle Ages. The name may have initially been associated with individuals who lived or worked in fields or meadows.
In the 16th century, the Ellwanger family is mentioned in several records from the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg), a major cultural and economic hub in Germany. One notable figure from this time period is Hans Ellwanger, a merchant and trader who lived in Nürnberg from 1522 to 1586.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ellwanger name spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Switzerland and Austria. Some variations in spelling, such as Ellwanger and Ellwenger, also emerged during this period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ellwanger in America was Johann Georg Ellwanger, who immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in the early 18th century. He was among the wave of German immigrants known as the "Pennsylvania Dutch."
In the 19th century, the Ellwanger family gained prominence in the horticultural industry. George Ellwanger (1819-1899), a nurseryman and horticulturist from Rochester, New York, co-founded the renowned Mount Hope Nurseries and was instrumental in introducing and popularizing various plant varieties in North America.
Another notable figure with the Ellwanger surname was Herman Ellwanger (1835-1924), who was a German-American politician and served as the mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1884 to 1888.
In addition, the Ellwanger name can be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, where it is sometimes spelled as Elwanger or Ellwanger.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellwanger
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellwanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ellwanger 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 Ellwanger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 752
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 22
- Two or more races2.4% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ellwanger
Ellwanger 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
#28,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 826
+43 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#31,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 797
-29 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 2,366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,648 | 783 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,809 | 826 | 0.28 | +43 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #31,175 | 797 | 0.27 | -29 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 2,366 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 Ellwanger 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 | #28,809 | #31,175 | -8.2% |
| Count | 826 | 797 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.27 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ellwanger bearers went from 826 to 797 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 2,366 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,809 to #31,175.
FAQ
Ellwanger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ellwanger?
Name Census estimates that about 914 living Americans carry the surname Ellwanger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 375,005 residents.
How common is Ellwanger?
Ellwanger ranks #31,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 797 people with the surname Ellwanger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (914), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Ellwanger.
Has Ellwanger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ellwanger went from 826 recorded bearers to 797. That is a decrease of 29 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,809 to #31,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Ellwanger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellwanger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Ellwanger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ellwanger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Ellwanger (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 Ellwanger mean?
A German surname derived from the words "ell" meaning sharp and "wanger" meaning cheek, referring to a person with a sharp face or facial features. 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 Ellwanger (0.27 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 Ellwanger?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ellwanger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.