2000
#50,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 393
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Elrick
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge by the swan lake".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 396 Americans carry the last name Elrick. That puts it at #62,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 865,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elrick 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 Elrick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
396
1 in 865,541
Census rank
#62,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
345
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 345 bearers of the surname Elrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elrick
The surname ELRICK has its origins in the northern English county of Yorkshire. It dates back to the 13th century and is derived from the Old English words "el" meaning elf and "ric" meaning kingdom or realm, suggesting an association with the lands or territories of mythical elf beings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379, which lists a Thomas Elryk residing in the village of Rippon. The nearby village of Elrick, located near the River Wharfe, likely contributed to the name's formation and early spellings.
In the 15th century, records show an Elryk family residing in the village of Pateley Bridge, with John Elrick serving as the village's constable in 1467. The name appeared in various spellings such as Elryke, Elryck, and Elricke during this period.
The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname ELRICK. However, it does mention the presence of several individuals with the given name Aelfric, which shares a similar etymological root.
Notable individuals bearing the ELRICK surname throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Elrick (1542-1614), a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, who served as the Mayor of York in 1592.
2. Elizabeth Elrick (1679-1745), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the village of Burnsall, whose expertise in herbal remedies was widely sought after in the region.
3. William Elrick (1778-1854), a skilled stonemason who worked on the construction of several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the York Minster and Ripon Cathedral.
4. Reverend John Elrick (1820-1892), an influential clergyman and author who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Pateley Bridge and wrote extensively on the history and traditions of the Yorkshire Dales.
5. Alice Elrick (1875-1962), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Leeds, advocating for equal educational opportunities for women during a time when such efforts were rare.
While the surname ELRICK is relatively uncommon outside of Yorkshire, its rich history and connections to the region's folklore, villages, and notable individuals have left an indelible mark on the cultural heritage of northern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Elrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Elrick 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 Elrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 331
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 8
- Two or more races1.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elrick
Elrick 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
#56,972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 358
-35 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 6,917 places
2020
#62,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
-13 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 5,668 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,055 | 393 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,972 | 358 | 0.12 | -35 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 6,917 places |
| 2020 | #62,640 | 345 | 0.12 | -13 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 5,668 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 Elrick 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 | #56,972 | #62,640 | -9.9% |
| Count | 358 | 345 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elrick bearers went from 358 to 345 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 5,668 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,972 to #62,640.
FAQ
Elrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elrick?
Name Census estimates that about 396 living Americans carry the surname Elrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 865,541 residents.
How common is Elrick?
Elrick ranks #62,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 345 people with the surname Elrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (396), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Elrick.
Has Elrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elrick went from 358 recorded bearers to 345. That is a decrease of 13 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,972 to #62,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Elrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Elrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Elrick (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 Elrick mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "ridge by the swan lake". 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 Elrick (0.12 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 share the surname Elrick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.