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

Elzinga, 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 Elzinga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elzinga in America

Elzinga is the 27081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elzinga surname appeared 894 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 Elzinga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elzinga 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 Elzinga

The surname Elzinga has its origins in the Netherlands, specifically in the region of Friesland. It is believed to have emerged around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old Frisian words "el" meaning "alder" and "inga" meaning "meadow" or "enclosure." Essentially, Elzinga referred to someone who lived near an alder meadow or an enclosure surrounded by alder trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elzinga can be found in the Frisian manuscript "De Jure Statutorum Frisiae" from the late 15th century. This document mentions a landowner named Sybrant Elzinga, who held property in the village of Wijns.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family of nobles called the Elzingas or Elzinghas, who held significant influence in the region of Friesland. Renowned members of this family include Rienck Elzinga (1495-1561), a politician and diplomat, and Syds Elzinga (1535-1601), a military commander.

Moving into the 17th century, the name Elzinga can be found in various Dutch records and documents. One notable figure was Volckert Elzinga (1623-1694), a prominent merchant and shipowner from the city of Leeuwarden.

The 18th century saw the birth of Jacobus Elzinga (1719-1781), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes. His works can be found in several museums across the Netherlands.

In more recent times, the name Elzinga has spread across the globe, particularly to North America and other parts of the world due to Dutch emigration. One notable figure was Kenney Elzinga (1935-2021), an American economist and professor at the University of Virginia, who made significant contributions to the field of industrial organization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elzinga

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

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

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

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