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

Elton, 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 Elton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elton in America

Elton is the 12616th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elton surname appeared 2,453 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Elton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elton 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 Elton

The surname Elton originates from England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "el" meaning "eel" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farmstead", indicating that the name likely referred to a settlement or area where eels were caught or bred.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1196, which mentions a person named William de Eltona. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of people during that period.

The Elton surname is also mentioned in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey conducted during the reign of King Edward I. These rolls recorded instances of the name in various counties, including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, suggesting that the name was widespread across the Midlands region of England.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone slight variations in spelling, including Eltone, Eltoun, and Eltown, as evidenced by historical records and documents. Some notable individuals with the Elton surname include:

1. Sir Arthur Elton (1590-1651), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.

2. Richard Elton (1679-1742), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

3. Sir Abraham Elton (1654-1742), a British diplomat and politician who served as the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

4. Thomas Elton (1788-1835), an English actor and playwright known for his performances in Shakespearean plays.

5. Sir Charles Elton (1839-1900), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1895 to 1900.

The name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Elton in Nottinghamshire, Elton in Cheshire, and Elton in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its locational origins and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elton

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

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

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

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