Explore the Family Name Eligio

The meaning of Eligio

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the personal name Eligio, from Latin Eligius (from eligere ‘to choose, elect’), the name borne by a 6th-century Christian saint who came to be venerated as the patron of smiths and horses.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Eligio in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Eligio saw a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, this surname was ranked 46,083 in terms of popularity across the United States, but by 2010, it had jumped to a rank of 31,754, indicating an upward shift of approximately 31.09%. Over the same period, the count of individuals with this surname also increased from 436 to 727, a growth of about 66.74%. This meant that the proportion of people named Eligio per 100,000 residents rose from 0.16 in 2000 to 0.25 in 2010, a change of 56.25%.

20002010Change
Rank#46,083#31,75431.09%
Count43672766.74%
Proportion per 100k0.160.2556.25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Eligio

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data suggest changes in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Eligio between 2000 and 2010. The most common ethnic identity tied to this name has been Hispanic, which accounted for 78.67% in 2000 and increased slightly to 80.61% in 2010. Meanwhile, individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander descent with this surname decreased from 12.84% to 10.45%, while those identifying as White declined from 6.88% to 5.91%. The percentage of people of two or more races with this surname saw a slight increase, growing from 1.38% to 1.65%. Interestingly, the surname appeared among the Black population for the first time in 2010, albeit at a low rate of 1.38%, whereas it was not present in the American Indian and Alaskan Native communities during either census years.

20002010Change
Hispanic78.67%80.61%2.47%
Asian/Pacific Islander12.84%10.45%-18.61%
White6.88%5.91%-14.1%
Two or More Races1.38%1.65%19.57%
Black0%1.38%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%