2000
#6,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,881
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Elwood
From an English place name meaning "elder tree forest," referring to a person who lived near such a woodland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,482 Americans carry the last name Elwood. That puts it at #6,778 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elwood 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Elwood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,524
Census rank
#6,778
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,781 bearers of the surname Elwood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6778th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elwood
The surname Elwood has its origins in England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English elements "ell," meaning elder tree, and "wudu," meaning wood or forest. The name likely referred to someone who lived near an elder wood or grove.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elwood can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Ailwudu." This early record suggests that the name was already in use during the late 11th century in England.
During the medieval period, the name Elwood appeared in various forms, including Elewode, Elwode, and Elwod. These variations reflect the changes in spelling and pronunciation over time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Elwood in Gloucestershire and Elwood Park in Staffordshire.
Notable individuals with the surname Elwood throughout history include:
1. John Elwood (c. 1580-1634), an English clergyman and author who wrote "The Survey of Anti-Christ," a work criticizing the Catholic Church.
2. Thomas Elwood (1639-1713), an English writer and Quaker who was a close friend of the poet John Milton. Elwood transcribed several of Milton's works, including "Paradise Lost."
3. Anne Katherine Elwood (1686-1757), an English poet and playwright known for her tragedies and translations of classical works.
4. Samuel Elwood (1774-1837), an American surveyor and politician who served as the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania from 1821 to 1825.
5. Douglas J. Elwood (1919-1998), an American psychologist and professor known for his work in clinical psychology and psychological assessment.
Throughout its history, the surname Elwood has maintained a connection to its Anglo-Saxon roots, reflecting its origins in the woodlands and forests of England. While not a particularly common name, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including authors, politicians, and academics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elwood
Among Census respondents with the surname Elwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Elwood 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 Elwood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 4,218
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 231
- Two or more races3.3% · 156
- Black or African American1.9% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elwood
Elwood 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
#6,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,000
+119 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 321 places
2020
#6,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,781
-219 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,423 | 4,881 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,744 | 5,000 | 1.70 | +119 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 321 places |
| 2020 | #6,778 | 4,781 | 1.60 | -219 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 34 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 Elwood 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 | #6,744 | #6,778 | -0.5% |
| Count | 5,000 | 4,781 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.60 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elwood bearers went from 5,000 to 4,781 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,744 to #6,778.
FAQ
Elwood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elwood?
Name Census estimates that about 5,482 living Americans carry the surname Elwood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,524 residents.
How common is Elwood?
Elwood ranks #6,778 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,781 people with the surname Elwood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Elwood.
Has Elwood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elwood went from 5,000 recorded bearers to 4,781. That is a decrease of 219 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,744 to #6,778.
What does the Census say about the background of Elwood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Elwood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (4,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elwood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Elwood (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 Elwood mean?
From an English place name meaning "elder tree forest," referring to a person who lived near such a woodland. 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 Elwood (1.60 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 surname Elwood?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.