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

Elster, 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 Elster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elster in America

Elster is the 39555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elster surname appeared 556 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 Elster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elster 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 Elster

The surname Elster originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Elster," which means "magpie" or "blackbird." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a place inhabited by these birds or perhaps someone who had a resemblance to them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elster can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a person named "Conradus Elster" is mentioned in relation to a land transaction in the village of Zossen.

During the 14th century, the name Elster appeared in various records across parts of northern and eastern Germany, including the regions of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Silesia. Variations in spelling were common during this time, with forms such as "Elstere," "Elstre," and "Elstir" being used interchangeably.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name Elster was Johann Elster, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1492 to 1565. He was a staunch supporter of Martin Luther and played a crucial role in establishing Protestantism in the city of Wittenberg.

Another prominent figure with the surname Elster was Johann Elster, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1610 to 1672. He was a professor of law at the University of Leipzig and made significant contributions to the field of Roman law.

In the 19th century, the name Elster gained recognition through the work of Julius Elster (1854-1920) and Hans Geitel (1855-1923), two German physicists who collaborated on groundbreaking research in the field of atmospheric electricity and ionization processes.

The name Elster has also been associated with several place names in Germany, such as Elster, a river in Saxony, and Elsterberg, a town in the state of Thuringia. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in certain regions.

Throughout its history, the surname Elster has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, scientists, artists, and tradespeople, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elster

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

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

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

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