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

Elza, 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 Elza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elza in America

Elza is the 40856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elza surname appeared 534 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 Elza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elza 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 Elza

The surname Elza is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old German word "elz," which means "swan." The name is thought to have been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a body of water where swans were present or someone who had some association with these graceful birds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elza can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, where a family by the name of Elzer was mentioned in the year 1568. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been Elzer before evolving into its current form.

In the 17th century, the name Elza appeared in several church records and parish registers in various regions of Germany, indicating its widespread use during this period. Notable individuals with this surname include Johann Elza (1580-1647), a German theologian and author from Saxony, and Hans Elza (1612-1687), a renowned painter from Bavaria.

As people began to migrate from Germany to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the name Elza traveled with them. In the 18th century, records show the presence of families with this surname in the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Elze."

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Elza in the United States can be found in the 1790 census, where a family with this surname was recorded as living in Pennsylvania. This suggests that German immigrants with the surname Elza had already established themselves in the New World by the late 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Elza throughout history include:

1. Wilhelm Elza (1832-1901), a German composer and music teacher from Saxony.
2. Anna Elza (1854-1928), a German-born American painter and art educator who lived and worked in California.
3. Ernst Elza (1877-1943), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic.
4. Richard Elza (1890-1976), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the early 20th century.
5. Edith Elza (1901-1988), a British artist and painter known for her landscapes and still-life works.

While the surname Elza may not be as common as some other surnames, its history can be traced back several centuries, with roots in German culture and language. From its beginnings as a descriptive name associated with swans, it has been carried by individuals across various walks of life, leaving a lasting legacy in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elza

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

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

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

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