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

Elum, 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 Elum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elum in America

Elum is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elum surname appeared 126 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 Elum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elum 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 Elum

The surname ELUM is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "elm," referring to the elm tree. This name likely indicated that the original bearer lived near or had a connection to an elm tree or grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELUM can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had established itself in England by the 11th century.

During the medieval period, place names often incorporated elements from the local landscape, such as trees, rivers, or hills. As a result, the name ELUM may have originated as a locational surname, referring to a place where elm trees were abundant.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Elme residing in Oxfordshire, England. The prefix "de" indicates a connection to a specific place, lending credence to the theory that ELUM was initially a locational surname.

Notable individuals with the surname ELUM throughout history include Sir Robert Elum (1490-1557), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. During the reign of Henry VIII, he served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1554 to 1555.

Another figure of note was William Elum (1623-1689), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Barnstaple during the reign of Charles II. He was known for his advocacy of religious tolerance and his support for the restoration of the monarchy.

In the literary realm, Mary Elum (1726-1805) was a renowned English poet and writer who published several collections of poetry and contributed to various literary journals of her time.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the ELUM surname in America was that of John Elum, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 as an indentured servant. He later became a landowner and established a family line in the colonies.

Lastly, in the 19th century, Eliza Elum (1818-1892) gained recognition as a prominent abolitionist and women's rights activist, working alongside prominent figures like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elum

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

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

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

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