2000
#12,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Elsner
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Elsen in Germany or Austria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,620 Americans carry the last name Elsner. That puts it at #12,872 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elsner 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.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,822
Census rank
#12,872
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,285 bearers of the surname Elsner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12872nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elsner
The surname Elsner originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German personal name "Alswine," which means "noble friend" or "noble companion." The name was predominantly found in areas such as Saxony, Silesia, and East Prussia.
One of the earliest known references to the name Elsner can be found in a document from the city of Zwickau, Saxony, dating back to 1286. This record mentions a certain "Heinricus Elsner" as a landowner in the region. Another early mention is in the Liber Censualis, a census-like record compiled in the 14th century for the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, which lists several individuals with the surname Elsner residing in various villages.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the University of Leipzig, with a student named Johannes Elsner enrolling in 1472. Around the same time, a merchant named Hans Elsner is mentioned in the city archives of Nuremberg, indicating the name's presence in different parts of Germany.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Elsner was Johann Gottfried Elsner (1784-1869), a German composer and music theorist. He was born in Greifenberg, Silesia, and served as the director of the Royal Institute for Church Music in Berlin.
Another prominent figure was Johann Friedrich Elsner (1737-1805), a German engraver and printer who was active in Nuremberg. His engravings and prints were highly regarded and can be found in various collections across Europe.
In the realm of literature, the name is associated with Jakob Elsner (1692-1750), a German poet and playwright from Königsberg, East Prussia. He is particularly known for his satirical works and comedies, which were popular in his time.
Moving into the 19th century, Karl Friedrich Elsner (1800-1872) was a German architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of Berlin. He designed several notable buildings, including the Neue Wache, a famous memorial in Berlin.
Lastly, a more recent figure was Gerhard Elsner (1923-2003), a German film director and screenwriter. He directed several critically acclaimed movies, such as "Jadup and Boel" (1959) and "The Rat" (1963), and was known for his unique cinematic style and social commentary.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Elsner throughout history, illustrating its German origins and presence across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elsner
Among Census respondents with the surname Elsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Elsner 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 Elsner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,120
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 80
- Two or more races2.4% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elsner
Elsner 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
#14,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,017
-368 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 2,717 places
2020
#12,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,285
+268 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,017 | 2,385 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,734 | 2,017 | 0.68 | -368 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 2,717 places |
| 2020 | #12,872 | 2,285 | 0.76 | +268 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 1,862 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 Elsner 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 | #14,734 | #12,872 | 12.6% |
| Count | 2,017 | 2,285 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.76 | 12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elsner bearers went from 2,017 to 2,285 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,734 to #12,872.
FAQ
Elsner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elsner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,620 living Americans carry the surname Elsner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,822 residents.
How common is Elsner?
Elsner ranks #12,872 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,285 people with the surname Elsner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Elsner.
Has Elsner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elsner went from 2,017 recorded bearers to 2,285. That is an increase of 268 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,734 to #12,872.
What does the Census say about the background of Elsner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Elsner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elsner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Elsner (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 Elsner mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Elsen in Germany or Austria. 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 Elsner (0.76 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 have the last name Elsner?
Find out how many people have the surname Elsner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.