Explore the Family Name Elisha
The meaning of Elisha
1. Jewish (from the Ottoman Empire): from the personal name Elisha (1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 2–4), the name of a Biblical prophet who was the disciple and successor of Elijah. 2. English: variant of Ellershaw, a habitational name from Ellershaw in Bentham (Yorkshire), on the border with Lancashire. Its spelling has been infleuenced by the Old Testament name Elisha. 3. Welsh: from the personal name Elis(s)e, dialectally Elis(s)a and Elisha, also spelled Eliscia. The name was often further shortened to Elis. Compare Ellis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Elisha in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Elisha has grown significantly in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 74,164th in popularity with a count of 243, equating to roughly 0.09 per 100k people. By 2010, its rank had jumped to 61,297 with an increased count of 328, or about 0.11 per 100k people. This represents a significant change of 17.35% in rank and 34.98% in count over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #74,164 | #61,297 | 17.35% |
| Count | 243 | 328 | 34.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.11 | 22.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Elisha
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts as well. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the surname Elisha identified as White (74.90%), followed by Black (14.81%), Two or more races (4.53%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.29%), and Hispanic (2.47%). However, by 2010, while White remained the dominant ethnicity at 70.43%, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Black (17.07%) and Hispanic (4.27%). The proportion of those identifying as having two or more races slightly decreased to 4.27%. There were no individuals with the surname Elisha that identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.9% | 70.43% | -5.97% |
| Black | 14.81% | 17.07% | 15.26% |
| Two or More Races | 4.53% | 4.27% | -5.74% |
| Hispanic | 2.47% | 4.27% | 72.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.29% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |