2000
#92,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Elvey
An English surname possibly derived from the Old English words "elf" and "ey" meaning elf island or island of elves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 193 Americans carry the last name Elvey. That puts it at #111,467 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,775,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elvey 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 Elvey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
193
1 in 1,775,929
Census rank
#111,467
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
168
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 168 bearers of the surname Elvey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111467th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elvey
The surname Elvey is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Oxfordshire, specifically in the village of Elvey, which was recorded in historical records as Elfei in the 13th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "aelf" meaning "elf" and "ey" meaning "island," suggesting a potential connection to a location surrounded by water or marshes where elves were believed to reside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Elvey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a person named Roger de Elfei is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Elvey appeared in various spellings, including Elveye, Elvee, and Elvy, reflecting the evolving nature of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
During the 16th century, the surname Elvey began to appear more frequently in historical records. Notable individuals from this period include John Elvey, a prominent merchant from Bristol, who was born around 1520 and played a significant role in the city's trade with continental Europe.
In the 17th century, the Elvey surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Elvey (1625-1688), a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Southampton.
The 19th century saw the rise of a prominent Elvey family in the world of entertainment. Maurice Elvey (1887-1967) was a pioneering English film director and producer who helmed over 200 films during the silent era and the early years of sound cinema. His brother, Herbert Elvey (1890-1958), was also a successful film director and is best known for his work on the 1928 silent film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "The Tragedy of Lady Windermere's Fan."
Another notable figure from this period was Edward Elvey (1855-1928), a renowned English cricketer who played for both Gloucestershire and Middlesex County Cricket Clubs and represented England in two Test matches against Australia in the late 19th century.
While the surname Elvey may have originated in a specific region of England, it has since spread across the country and beyond, with Elveys making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elvey
Among Census respondents with the surname Elvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Elvey 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 Elvey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 143
- Black or African American11.9% · 20
- Two or more races3.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elvey
Elvey 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
#99,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
-2 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 6,777 places
2020
#111,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
-14 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 12,089 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #92,601 | 184 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,378 | 182 | 0.06 | -2 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 6,777 places |
| 2020 | #111,467 | 168 | 0.06 | -14 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 12,089 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 Elvey 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 | #99,378 | #111,467 | -12.2% |
| Count | 182 | 168 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elvey bearers went from 182 to 168 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 12,089 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,378 to #111,467.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elvey
FAQ
Elvey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elvey?
Name Census estimates that about 193 living Americans carry the surname Elvey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,775,929 residents.
How common is Elvey?
Elvey ranks #111,467 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 168 people with the surname Elvey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (193), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Elvey.
Has Elvey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elvey went from 182 recorded bearers to 168. That is a decrease of 14 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #99,378 to #111,467.
What does the Census say about the background of Elvey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Elvey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elvey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Elvey (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 Elvey mean?
An English surname possibly derived from the Old English words "elf" and "ey" meaning elf island or island of elves. 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 Elvey (0.06 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 many people have the last name Elvey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Elvey is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.