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

Ephrem, 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 Ephrem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ephrem in America

Ephrem is the 48436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ephrem surname appeared 436 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 Ephrem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ephrem 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 Ephrem

The surname EPHREM has its origins in the ancient Aramaic language and is derived from the personal name "Ephrem" or "Ephraim," meaning "fruitful" or "doubly fruitful." The name's etymology can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, where it appears as the name of one of the sons of Joseph.

This surname is believed to have originated in regions where Aramaic was historically spoken, such as parts of the Middle East, particularly Syria and Lebanon. It is likely that the name was first adopted as a surname by Christian communities in these areas, as it was a popular name among early Christians.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname EPHREM can be found in the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian, a renowned theologian and hymnographer who lived in the 4th century AD. Born in Nisibis (now in modern-day Turkey), he became known as the "Harp of the Holy Spirit" and is revered as a saint in various Christian traditions.

During the Middle Ages, the surname EPHREM appeared in various manuscripts and records, particularly in regions with significant Christian populations. For example, it is mentioned in the Cartulaire de Saint-Barnard, a collection of charters and documents from the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Barnard in the French region of Savoy, dating back to the 12th century.

One notable figure bearing the surname EPHREM was Ephrem of Amida, a 6th-century Syrian deacon and theologian known for his writings on the nature of Christ and his defense of the Council of Chalcedon. Another prominent individual was Ephrem the Patriarch of Antioch, who served as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1957 to 1995.

Other historical figures with the surname EPHREM include:

1. Ephrem Karim (1867-1949), a Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest and writer who played a significant role in the cultural and literary renaissance of Lebanon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

2. Ephrem Isa Younan (1944-2015), an Iraqi-born Syrian Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Our Lady of Deliverance Diocese for Syriac Catholics in the United States and Canada.

3. Ephrem Bourquard (1839-1923), a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled extensively in Ethiopia and was known for his contribution to the study of the Ethiopian languages and cultures.

4. Ephrem Ghiorgis (1939-2021), an Ethiopian Ge'ez language scholar and author who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Ge'ez language and literature.

5. Ephrem Lapide (1549-1619), a Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian who was known for his expertise in Biblical exegesis and his work on the interpretation of the Scriptures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ephrem

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

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

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

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