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

Erlich, 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 Erlich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erlich in America

Erlich is the 30509th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erlich surname appeared 765 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 Erlich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erlich 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 Erlich

The surname Erlich originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "erla," which means "noble" or "honorable." This name was likely given to someone who was respected in their community or held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Erlich appears in a document from the city of Nuremberg in the 14th century. The document mentions a man named Hans Erlich, who was a local merchant and landowner.

In the 15th century, the name Erlich can be found in various records from the region of Saxony, particularly in the towns of Leipzig and Dresden. Some variations of the spelling include Erlich, Erlig, and Erlick.

A notable figure from this time period was Johann Erlich, who was born in 1462 in the town of Meissen. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his work on mathematics and astronomy.

The Erlich name also appears in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Erlich who held property in the county of Norfolk, England.

In the 16th century, the Erlich family gained prominence in the city of Augsburg, where they were involved in the textile trade and held influential positions in the city's government. One member of this family, Georg Erlich (1515-1587), was a successful merchant and served as a councilman for several years.

Another historical figure with the surname Erlich was Friedrich Erlich (1672-1737), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. He wrote several influential works on religion and ethics.

In the 18th century, the Erlich name can be found in various records from the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. One notable individual from this time was Karl Erlich (1724-1798), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Seven Years' War.

The 19th century saw the Erlich family spread across various parts of Europe, with some members emigrating to other countries. One prominent figure was Paul Erlich (1854-1915), a German scientist and Nobel Prize winner who made significant contributions to the fields of immunology and chemotherapy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erlich

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

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

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

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