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

Elston, 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 Elston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elston in America

Elston is the 5934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elston surname appeared 5,803 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Elston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elston 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 Elston

The surname Elston is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name Elston, which refers to various locations across England, including villages in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Elvestune" in reference to the village of Elston in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century.

The name Elston is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ælf" meaning "elf" or "supernatural being" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement." This combination likely referred to a settlement or farm associated with elves or supernatural beings in the folklore of the time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Elvestone" and "Elvestune" in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable individual from this period was William de Elston, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1227 in relation to a land dispute in Nottinghamshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Elston became more widespread across England. John Elston (c. 1550-1620), a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London, is one of the well-known figures from this time period. Another notable individual was Sir Ralph Elston (1588-1652), a member of Parliament and landowner in Yorkshire.

In the 18th century, the name Elston was associated with several notable individuals, including Samuel Elston (1717-1788), a prominent Baptist minister in London, and Mary Elston (1736-1805), a renowned English ceramicist known for her delicate porcelain figurines.

As the centuries progressed, the Elston surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with several individuals leaving their mark in various fields. Thomas Elston (1808-1888) was a notable architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the Midlands region of England, while Sir Arthur Elston (1865-1942) was a distinguished jurist and judge in the British colonial service in India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elston

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

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

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

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