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

Erasmus, 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 Erasmus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erasmus in America

Erasmus is the 69793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erasmus surname appeared 281 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 Erasmus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erasmus 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 Erasmus

The surname ERASMUS is thought to have originated in the Netherlands during the late 15th century. It is derived from the Greek word "erasmios", meaning "beloved" or "desired". This name is closely associated with the famous Dutch Renaissance scholar and theologian, Desiderius Erasmus, who lived from 1466 to 1536.

ERASMUS first appeared as a surname in Dutch records and manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries. It is believed that some individuals adopted the name as a way to honor or pay tribute to the esteemed scholar, Desiderius Erasmus. The name may have also been given to children born during this period, as Erasmus was highly revered for his intellectual contributions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ERASMUS can be found in the 1566 census records of the city of Rotterdam, where a family by the name of "Erasmus" is listed. Additionally, the name appears in various Dutch church records and legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Aside from Desiderius Erasmus himself, several notable individuals have borne the surname ERASMUS throughout history. These include:

1. Johannes Erasmus (1500-1558), a Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Basel.
2. Pieter Erasmus (1610-1670), a Dutch painter known for his landscape and still-life works.
3. Franciscus Erasmus (1627-1694), a Dutch engraver and printmaker who worked in Amsterdam.
4. Christoffel Erasmus (1675-1740), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who established trading routes to the East Indies.
5. Vitus Erasmus (1720-1790), a German-born philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Heidelberg.

While the surname ERASMUS originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world, likely through migration and the influence of the renowned scholar Desiderius Erasmus.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erasmus

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

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

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

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