2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Elworth
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near an elder tree or grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Elworth. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elworth 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Elworth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elworth
The surname Elworth is of English origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the village of Elworth, located in the county of Cheshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "ell," meaning "elder tree," and "worth," meaning "enclosure" or "homestead," suggesting that the name referred to a homestead or settlement near an elder tree.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elworth can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire from 1327, where a certain Robert de Elworth is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use as a surname during the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the Cheshire Wills and Inventories from 1554, where a Richard Elworth is listed as a resident of the village of Elworth. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the place name.
During the 17th century, the Elworth family gained some prominence in the region. John Elworth (1602-1672) was a notable landowner and member of the gentry in Cheshire. His son, Thomas Elworth (1635-1707), served as a justice of the peace and is mentioned in several legal records from the time.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the Oxford University Alumni Records with the entry of Edward Elworth (1712-1778), who was educated at Brasenose College and later became a clergyman in the Church of England.
Another notable figure with the surname Elworth was Captain William Elworth (1789-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He is mentioned in several naval records and dispatches from the early 19th century.
Throughout history, the Elworth surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Elworth Hall, a manor house located in Cheshire, and Elworth Priory, a former monastic establishment in the same county.
While the surname Elworth is not among the most common in England, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from landowners and military officers to clergymen and academics, all with roots tracing back to the village of Elworth in Cheshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elworth
Among Census respondents with the surname Elworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Elworth 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 Elworth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 100
- Two or more races9.1% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elworth
Elworth 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,840 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 9,840 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,597 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 Elworth 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 | #134,712 | #141,309 | -4.9% |
| Count | 125 | 121 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elworth bearers went from 125 to 121 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,597 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Elworth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elworth?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Elworth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Elworth?
Elworth ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Elworth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Elworth.
Has Elworth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elworth went from 125 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Elworth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.1%) and Hispanic (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 Elworth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elworth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (9.1%), Hispanic (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 Elworth (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 Elworth mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near an elder tree or grove. 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 Elworth (0.04 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 common is the surname Elworth?
Find out how many people are called Elworth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.