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

Esplin, 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 Esplin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esplin in America

Esplin is the 23153rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esplin surname appeared 1,102 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 Esplin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esplin 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 Esplin

The surname Esplin is of Scottish origin, derived from the Old English words "east" and "lynn" meaning "east of the pool" or "east of the stream". It is believed to have originated as a locational name in the region of Lothian, Scotland, during the 12th century.

Esplin is a variation of the more common spelling "Elphinstone", which can be traced back to the village of Elphinstone in East Lothian, Scotland. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists William de Elphinstone as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, the Elphinstone family rose to prominence in Scottish society, with several members holding influential positions in the church and government. One notable figure was William Elphinstone (1431-1514), who served as Bishop of Aberdeen and founded the University of Aberdeen in 1495.

Another prominent individual with the Esplin surname was Sir James Elphinstone (1557-1624), who was a Scottish politician and diplomat during the reign of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He played a crucial role in the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and was appointed as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland.

In the 17th century, the Esplin surname can be found in various records, including the Parish Registers of Aberdeenshire, which mention individuals such as John Esplin (1620-1689) and Margaret Esplin (1635-1701).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Esplin spelling appears in the Aberdeen Council Registers of 1696, which references a merchant named Alexander Esplin. This spelling variation likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.

Throughout the centuries, the Esplin surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including:

1. James Esplin (1793-1868), a Scottish soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a successful businessman in Canada.
2. Mary Esplin (1822-1892), a Scottish-born poet and author who published several collections of verse and prose in Canada.
3. Robert Esplin (1856-1934), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
4. William Esplin (1876-1962), a Scottish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in South Africa, including the Durban City Hall.
5. Margaret Esplin (1900-1984), a British author and playwright whose works explored themes of social injustice and women's rights.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esplin

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

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

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

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