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

McElfresh, 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 McElfresh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McElfresh in America

McElfresh is the 13551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McElfresh surname appeared 2,237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McElfresh.

We can also compare 2010 data for McElfresh 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 McElfresh

The surname McElfresh has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic language and is a combination of the prefix "Mac," meaning "son of," and the name "Elfresh" or "Elfrith," which is thought to have derived from a personal name or a place name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McElfresh can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was already in use and established by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, a variation of the name, "McElfrish," appeared in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls, which were records of financial transactions and land holdings. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period, as they were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.

One notable individual bearing the McElfresh surname was John McElfresh, born in 1742 in Ayrshire, Scotland. He emigrated to America in the late 18th century and fought in the American Revolutionary War. Another early bearer of the name was William McElfresh, born in 1789 in County Antrim, Ireland, who later settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent businessman.

In the 19th century, the McElfresh surname gained recognition with the birth of Samuel McElfresh (1810-1872), a Scottish-American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Another significant figure was James McElfresh (1847-1923), a Scottish-born farmer and businessman who helped establish the town of McElfresh, Iowa, which was named after him.

The McElfresh name has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Scotland, such as McElfresh Hill in Ayrshire and McElfresh Farm in Dumfriesshire. These place names further solidify the longstanding presence of the surname in Scottish history and its deep roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McElfresh

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

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

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

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