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

Elms, 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 Elms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elms in America

Elms is the 13306th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elms surname appeared 2,292 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Elms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elms 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 Elms

The surname Elms is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "elm" and "leah," meaning a glade or meadow where elm trees grew. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname likely hailed from areas near elm groves or forests.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elms can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. The rolls mention a John de Elm, indicating that the name had already established itself by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Atte Elmes and de Elmes, which signified the individual's connection to a specific place or landmark associated with elm trees. For instance, the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 lists a Johannes de Elmes, suggesting the presence of the surname in the northern region of England.

The Elms surname can also be traced back to place names like Elmstead, a village in Essex, and Elmstone, a hamlet in Worcestershire. These locations likely served as the ancestral homes of some early Elms families.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Elms was John Elms (c. 1585-1637), an English scholar, and clergyman who served as the Bishop of London from 1632 until his death. He played a significant role in the ecclesiastical and political affairs of his time.

Another individual of note was Ebenezer Elms (1676-1757), a colonial American from Connecticut who served as a deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts and held various local offices in the town of Killingly.

In the 18th century, Thomas Elms (1735-1814) was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire from 1790 to 1806. He was also a prominent landowner and a Justice of the Peace.

Moving into the 19th century, Charles Elms (1822-1900) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club and made notable contributions to the sport during his playing career.

Lastly, William Elms (1857-1939) was a notable Australian politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia and played a significant role in the labor movement in the early 20th century.

These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the surname Elms throughout history, spanning various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elms

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

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

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

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