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

Elmo, 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 Elmo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elmo in America

Elmo is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elmo surname appeared 334 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 Elmo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elmo 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 Elmo

The surname Elmo originates from Italy, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic name Ermo or Ermo, which means "whole" or "universal." This name was later Italianized to Elmo.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elmo can be found in a 13th-century document from the region of Tuscany, where a certain Guido Elmo was mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name may have initially been more prevalent in central and northern Italy.

In the 14th century, the name Elmo appeared in several ecclesiastical records from the city of Genoa, indicating that it was also present in the northwestern part of the country. One notable figure from this period was Matteo Elmo, a Genoese merchant and diplomat who played a role in negotiations between the Republic of Genoa and the Byzantine Empire.

The surname Elmo has also been linked to the Italian word "elmo," which means "helmet." This connection may have arisen from the occupation of an early bearer of the name, perhaps a soldier or armorer.

During the Renaissance, the Elmo family gained prominence in the Venetian Republic. Francesco Elmo, born in 1480, was a renowned painter and architect who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Venice and its surrounding areas.

In the 17th century, the name Elmo appeared in records from the Kingdom of Naples. One notable individual was Girolamo Elmo, a philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Naples and authored several scholarly works.

Other notable individuals with the surname Elmo include:

1. Giovanni Elmo (1582-1639), an Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary orbits.

2. Antonio Elmo (1725-1802), a Neapolitan painter known for his religious works and portraiture.

3. Vincenzo Elmo (1789-1856), an Italian composer and music teacher who was active in Naples.

4. Ferdinando Elmo (1808-1892), an Italian politician and statesman who served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy.

5. Goffredo Elmo (1889-1967), an Italian writer and journalist who documented the lives and struggles of the working class in his literary works.

While the surname Elmo has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elmo

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Elmo, 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!