NameCensus.

UK surname

Elias

A surname of Greek origin meaning "Jehovah is God," derived from the Hebrew name Elijah.

In the 1881 census there were 978 people recorded with the Elias surname, ranking it #3,977 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,872, ranked #3,401, up from #3,977 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil and Llangafelach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Elias is 1,896 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.4%.

1881 census count

978

Ranked #3,977

Modern count

1,872

2016, ranked #3,401

Peak year

2015

1,896 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Elias had 978 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,977 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,872 in 2016, ranked #3,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,318 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Elias surname distribution map

The map shows where the Elias surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Elias surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Elias over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 829 #3,262
1861 historical 793 #3,473
1881 historical 978 #3,977
1891 historical 1,031 #4,045
1901 historical 1,166 #4,190
1911 historical 1,318 #3,621
1997 modern 1,585 #3,727
1998 modern 1,635 #3,756
1999 modern 1,673 #3,712
2000 modern 1,673 #3,692
2001 modern 1,632 #3,703
2002 modern 1,672 #3,695
2003 modern 1,656 #3,661
2004 modern 1,705 #3,580
2005 modern 1,740 #3,466
2006 modern 1,740 #3,477
2007 modern 1,734 #3,518
2008 modern 1,748 #3,520
2009 modern 1,810 #3,489
2010 modern 1,841 #3,504
2011 modern 1,841 #3,460
2012 modern 1,840 #3,423
2013 modern 1,886 #3,398
2014 modern 1,893 #3,404
2015 modern 1,896 #3,370
2016 modern 1,872 #3,401

Geography

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Where Elias' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil, Llangafelach, Aberdare and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
3 Llangafelach Glamorganshire
4 Aberdare Glamorganshire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 007 Carmarthenshire
2 Carmarthenshire 006 Carmarthenshire
3 Carmarthenshire 008 Carmarthenshire
4 Ceredigion 010 Ceredigion
5 Carmarthenshire 011 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Elias

These lists show first names that appear often with the Elias surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Elias

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Elias, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Elias surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Elias household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Elias is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Elias is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Elias falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Elias is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Elias, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Elias

The surname Elias has its origins in the biblical Hebrew name Eliyahu, which means "my God is Yahweh" or "Jehovah is God." The name is derived from the Hebrew elements "El" meaning "God" and "Yah" which is a shortened form of the name Yahweh, the proper name for the God of Israel.

The Elias surname is primarily found in Europe, particularly in countries with significant Jewish populations, due to the biblical roots of the name. It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition in the late 15th century and settled in other parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Elias surname can be found in the Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik, Croatia) region in the 16th century, where a Jewish family by the name of Elias is mentioned in historical records.

In England, the name appears in the 17th century, with notable individuals such as John Elias (1590-1675), a Welsh Protestant minister and one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in Wales.

Throughout history, the Elias surname has been associated with several notable figures, including:

1. Caleb Elias (1767-1828), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. 2. Ney Elias (1844-1897), a British-born explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of the flora and fauna of South America. 3. Julius Elias (1861-1927), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as President of the Reichsgericht (Imperial Court of Justice) in Germany. 4. Maurice Elias (1867-1931), a French industrialist and one of the founders of the Citroën automobile company. 5. Michel Elias (1937-2019), a Lebanese-Brazilian artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.

The Elias surname has also been linked to various place names and geographical locations, such as the town of Elias in the state of Piauí, Brazil, and the Elias Mountains in southeastern Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Elias families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Elias surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Glamorgan leads with 348 Elias' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.10x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 348 21.10x
Carmarthenshire 107 26.80x
Cardiganshire 76 32.89x
Caernarfonshire 74 19.32x
Monmouthshire 71 10.37x
Lancashire 51 0.45x
Middlesex 50 0.53x
Anglesey 40 23.83x
Pembrokeshire 28 9.30x
Montgomeryshire 17 7.83x
Surrey 17 0.37x
Denbighshire 14 3.91x
Gloucestershire 12 0.65x
Northamptonshire 12 1.35x
Worcestershire 12 0.97x
Brecknockshire 9 4.75x
Shropshire 7 0.86x
Sussex 6 0.38x
Merionethshire 5 2.88x
Warwickshire 4 0.17x
Flintshire 3 1.18x
Cheshire 2 0.10x
Devon 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.10x
Midlothian 1 0.08x
Nairnshire 1 3.46x
Somerset 1 0.07x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 49 Elias' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.91x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 49 30.91x
Carmarthen St Peter 45 131.89x
Aberdare 33 29.15x
Clase 33 53.82x
Bedwellty 25 20.68x
Newcastle Lower 24 697.67x
Ystradyfodwg 24 16.59x
Llantwit Lower 23 158.62x
Mynyddyslwyn 21 77.75x
Everton 17 4.75x
Llandilo Fawr 15 84.27x
Llangunnor 15 422.54x
Blaenporth 14 636.36x
Liverpool 14 2.05x
Llanwonno 14 23.62x
Newton Nottage 14 309.05x
Llanidloes 13 80.80x
Neath 13 38.74x
Stoke Prior 12 157.27x
Woodford 12 242.42x
Cardigan St Mary 11 124.29x
Gelligaer 11 29.20x
Llanystymdwy 11 294.12x
Abererch 10 178.25x
Cwmdu 10 49.78x
Roath 10 13.35x
Coyty Lower 9 84.03x
Dylais Higher 9 327.27x
Kenarth 9 162.75x
Llandaff 9 16.40x
Llanrwst 9 72.64x
Monmouth 9 49.56x
Penbryn 9 199.56x
Bangor 8 21.66x
Bethnal Green London 8 1.94x
Clydey 8 220.99x
Coedfrank 8 69.99x
Denio 8 89.29x
Gloucester St Nicholas 8 93.02x
Llysyfrane 8 1269.84x
Michaelstone Super Avon 8 44.79x
Paddington London 8 2.30x
St Mellons 8 412.37x
Swansea Town 8 5.92x
Bettws Evan 7 551.18x
Llangoedmore 7 243.90x
Llanstephan 7 177.22x
St Dogmells 7 87.50x
Caerhun 6 181.82x
Islington London 6 0.65x
Llaneilian 6 192.93x
Llanllechid 6 22.28x
Llechylched 6 322.58x
Manchester 6 1.19x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 3.15x
Troedyraur 6 221.40x
Abernant 5 209.21x
Clapham 5 4.22x
Falmer 5 267.38x
Kensington London 5 0.95x
Llanaelhaiarn 5 105.93x
Llandyfriog 5 193.80x
Llangennech 5 78.25x
Llanguick 5 16.92x
Llantrisant 5 12.03x
Whitechapel London 5 5.36x
Wrexham Regis 5 18.82x
Yspytty Ystwyth 5 164.47x
Amlwch 4 25.32x
Festiniog 4 10.94x
Llanfyllin 4 69.81x
Llanrhidian Higher 4 38.17x
Llantrisaint 4 307.69x
Llanwenllwyfo 4 305.34x
Penarth 4 24.81x
Shoreditch London 4 0.97x
Shrewsbury St Chad 4 13.93x
Upper Llanvrechva 4 37.59x
Maescar 3 236.22x
Pentraeth 3 112.36x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Elias surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 79
Sarah 38
Margaret 37
Ann 36
Elizabeth 34
Catherine 19
Jane 19
Hannah 15
Anne 13
Ellen 10
Eliza 7
Martha 7
Emma 6
Esther 6
Rachel 6
Annie 4
Margret 4
Agnes 3
Cathrine 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Elinor 3
Fanny 3
Margt. 3
Maria 3
Sophia 3
Alice 2
C.A. 2
Clara 2
Dora 2
Eleanor 2
Frances 2
Gwenllian 2
Hanah 2
Helen 2
Jennet 2
Jennett 2
Leah 2
Lettcia 2
Lydia 2
Phoebe 2
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Constance 1
Diana 1
Dorothy 1
E.Ann 1
E.M.S. 1
Geraldine 1
Zoe 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Elias surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 87
Thomas 60
William 55
David 49
Daniel 20
Evan 18
Owen 14
Elias 12
Richard 11
Edward 8
Henry 8
Samuel 8
Benjamin 7
George 7
James 7
Morgan 6
Robert 5
Roger 5
Arthur 4
Griffith 4
Joseph 4
Wm. 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Hugh 3
Job 3
Moses 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Enoch 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
Josiah 2
Morris 2
Rees 2
Willie 2
Aneurian 1
Archibald 1
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
D.M. 1
Ellis 1
Emmanuel 1
Emrys 1
Esex 1
Hyman 1
Ivor 1
J.H. 1

FAQ

Elias surname: questions and answers

How common was the Elias surname in 1881?

In 1881, 978 people were recorded with the Elias surname. That placed it at #3,977 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Elias surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,872 in 2016. That gives Elias a modern rank of #3,401.

What does the Elias surname mean?

A surname of Greek origin meaning "Jehovah is God," derived from the Hebrew name Elijah.

What does the Elias map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Elias bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.