2000
#9,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,998
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Enlow
English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "solitary hill" or "lonely hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,218 Americans carry the last name Enlow. That puts it at #10,842 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Enlow 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
3.2K
1 in 106,512
Census rank
#10,842
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,806 bearers of the surname Enlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10842nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Enlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Enlow
The surname Enlow originates from England, likely emerging during the medieval period between the 5th and 15th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "en" meaning "one" and "low" referring to a hill or mound, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who resided near a solitary hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Enlouwe." This historical record provides insights into the distribution of land and resources in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name Enlow appeared in various forms, such as "Enlowe" and "Enloewe," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Enlow surname, John Enlow (1568-1642) was a prominent landowner in Warwickshire, England. His estate, known as Enlow Manor, was a significant property during the Tudor and Stuart periods.
Another historical figure was William Enlow (1620-1698), a merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a crucial role in establishing trade routes between England and the Indian subcontinent, contributing to the expansion of British commercial interests in the region.
In the 18th century, the Enlow family gained prominence in the United States. Benjamin Enlow (1745-1823), a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia, was granted land for his military service and became a respected community leader in the Shenandoah Valley.
During the 19th century, the name Enlow was found in various locations across the United States, reflecting the westward migration of families seeking new opportunities. One notable figure was Sarah Enlow (1812-1892), a pioneer and advocate for women's rights in the state of Illinois.
The Enlow surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Enlow City in Missouri and Enlow Fork in West Virginia, further emphasizing its historical roots and geographic distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Enlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Enlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Enlow 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 Enlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 2,418
- Black or African American5.2% · 146
- Two or more races4.3% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Enlow
Enlow 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
#10,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,936
-62 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 917 places
2020
#10,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,806
-130 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,930 | 2,998 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,847 | 2,936 | 1.00 | -62 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 917 places |
| 2020 | #10,842 | 2,806 | 0.94 | -130 bearers (-4.4%) | Up 5 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 Enlow 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 | #10,847 | #10,842 | 0.0% |
| Count | 2,936 | 2,806 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.94 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Enlow bearers went from 2,936 to 2,806 (-4.4% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,847 to #10,842.
FAQ
Enlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Enlow?
Name Census estimates that about 3,218 living Americans carry the surname Enlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,512 residents.
How common is Enlow?
Enlow ranks #10,842 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,806 people with the surname Enlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Enlow.
Has Enlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Enlow went from 2,936 recorded bearers to 2,806. That is a decrease of 130 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,847 to #10,842.
What does the Census say about the background of Enlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Enlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Enlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (2,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Enlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Enlow (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 Enlow mean?
English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "solitary hill" or "lonely hill." 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 Enlow (0.94 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 Enlow?
See how many people are called Enlow on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.