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

Elsen, 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 Elsen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elsen in America

Elsen is the 31554th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elsen surname appeared 733 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 Elsen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elsen 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 Elsen

The surname Elsen has its origins in Germany, and its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "els," which means "swan." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a body of water frequented by swans.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Elsen, a merchant from Hamburg who lived in the late 16th century. Records show that he traded goods along the Elbe River and across the Baltic Sea. Another early mention of the name can be found in the chronicles of the city of Lübeck, where a certain Gerhard Elsen is listed as a member of the city council in 1612.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Elsen spread across various regions of Germany, with notable concentrations in the northern states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In the 1700s, a family of Elsen landowners resided in the village of Elsdorf, near Lüneburg, lending credence to the theory that the name may have derived from a place name related to the presence of swans.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the Elsen surname was Johann Elsen, a renowned theologian and philosopher who lived from 1634 to 1697. He served as a professor at the University of Rostock and authored several influential works on Protestant doctrine and ethics.

In the 19th century, the Elsen name gained further prominence with the birth of Karl Elsen (1822-1899), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Elsen Ironworks in Essen. His company played a significant role in the development of the Ruhr region as a major industrial hub.

Another notable bearer of the Elsen surname was Helene Elsen (1865-1931), a German painter and portraitist who studied under the acclaimed artist Max Liebermann. Her works were exhibited in galleries across Europe and are now part of several prestigious collections.

As the centuries progressed, individuals with the Elsen surname continued to leave their mark in various fields, including academia, business, and the arts, cementing the name's place in German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elsen

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

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

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

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