2000
#12,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,331
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Elms
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near elm trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,581 Americans carry the last name Elms. That puts it at #13,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,799 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elms surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Elms with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,799
Census rank
#13,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,251 bearers of the surname Elms in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elms, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elms
The surname Elms is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "elm" and "leah," meaning a glade or meadow where elm trees grew. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname likely hailed from areas near elm groves or forests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elms can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. The rolls mention a John de Elm, indicating that the name had already established itself by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Atte Elmes and de Elmes, which signified the individual's connection to a specific place or landmark associated with elm trees. For instance, the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 lists a Johannes de Elmes, suggesting the presence of the surname in the northern region of England.
The Elms surname can also be traced back to place names like Elmstead, a village in Essex, and Elmstone, a hamlet in Worcestershire. These locations likely served as the ancestral homes of some early Elms families.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Elms was John Elms (c. 1585-1637), an English scholar, and clergyman who served as the Bishop of London from 1632 until his death. He played a significant role in the ecclesiastical and political affairs of his time.
Another individual of note was Ebenezer Elms (1676-1757), a colonial American from Connecticut who served as a deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts and held various local offices in the town of Killingly.
In the 18th century, Thomas Elms (1735-1814) was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire from 1790 to 1806. He was also a prominent landowner and a Justice of the Peace.
Moving into the 19th century, Charles Elms (1822-1900) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club and made notable contributions to the sport during his playing career.
Lastly, William Elms (1857-1939) was a notable Australian politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia and played a significant role in the labor movement in the early 20th century.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the surname Elms throughout history, spanning various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elms
Among Census respondents with the surname Elms, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Elms bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Elms surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 1,845
- Black or African American6.3% · 141
- Two or more races5.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elms
Elms appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,292
-39 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,058 places
2020
#13,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,251
-41 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 271 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,248 | 2,331 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,306 | 2,292 | 0.78 | -39 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,058 places |
| 2020 | #13,035 | 2,251 | 0.75 | -41 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 271 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Elms surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,306 | #13,035 | 2.0% |
| Count | 2,292 | 2,251 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.75 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elms bearers went from 2,292 to 2,251 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 271 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,306 to #13,035.
FAQ
Elms surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elms?
Name Census estimates that about 2,581 living Americans carry the surname Elms. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,799 residents.
How common is Elms?
Elms ranks #13,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,251 people with the surname Elms. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Elms.
Has Elms become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elms went from 2,292 recorded bearers to 2,251. That is a decrease of 41 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,306 to #13,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Elms?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elms, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elms in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (1,845 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elms appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Elms (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Elms mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near elm trees. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Elms (0.75 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Elms?
Want to know how many people have the last name Elms? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.