Elsea last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Elsea

A locational surname derived from the town of Elsa in Germany.

Elsea, 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 Elsea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elsea in America

Elsea is the 20709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elsea surname appeared 1,277 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 Elsea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elsea 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 20709 19840 4.29%
Count 1,277 1,254 1.82%
Proportion per 100k 0.43 0.46 -6.74%

The history of the last name Elsea

The surname ELSEA is believed to have originated in England during the 12th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Elsea, a small village located in the county of Lincolnshire. The name Elsea itself is derived from the Old English words "els" meaning "eel" and "ea" meaning "stream" or "river", suggesting that the area was once known for its abundance of eels in the local waterways.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like record from the late 13th century. In these rolls, the name appears as "de Elseye", indicating that it was initially a locational surname used to identify someone from the village of Elsea.

Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Elsey, Elsay, and Elsie, before settling on the more modern form of ELSEA. These variations were common during a time when spelling conventions were not standardized, and names were often recorded based on their phonetic pronunciation.

Historically, the ELSEA surname is associated with several notable individuals. One such figure is John Elsea, a prominent English merchant who lived in the 16th century. Born in 1520, he was a successful trader and benefactor, known for his charitable contributions to the city of London.

Another noteworthy bearer of the ELSEA name is William Elsea, a renowned English theologian and scholar from the 17th century. Born in 1634, he was a prolific writer and a respected figure in the Church of England, publishing numerous works on religion and philosophy.

In the 18th century, Samuel Elsea made a name for himself as a skilled architect and builder. Born in 1725, he was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in London, including St. Paul's Church and the Royal Exchange.

Moving into the 19th century, Elizabeth Elsea, born in 1815, gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in England and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women.

Finally, in the 20th century, Robert Elsea, born in 1920, was a respected military officer who served with distinction during World War II. He received numerous honors and commendations for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname ELSEA, a name with deep roots in the English countryside and a rich tapestry of stories woven into its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elsea

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

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 Elsea was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.93% 1,225
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.63% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.70% 9
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.78% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.39% 5
Hispanic Origin 1.57% 20

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 Elsea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.93% 96.81% -0.91%
Black 0.63% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.70% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.78% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.39% 0.56% -35.79%
Hispanic 1.57% 1.83% -15.29%

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

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

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"Elsea last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/elsea-surname-popularity/.

"Elsea last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/elsea-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Elsea last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/elsea-surname-popularity/.

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