Ellyot
A diminutive form of the English name Elliot, which derives from the medieval name Elias.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Ellyot. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Ellyot today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ellyot births was 2017 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ellyot. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ellyot. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2017
10 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,843
Tracked since 2012
Gender
Gender distribution for Ellyot
Ellyot is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 15 total registrations, 5 (33.3%) were male and 10 (66.7%) were female.
Ellyot as a male name
- Ranked #12,843 in 2017
- 5 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (5 births)
Ellyot as a female name
- Ranked #16,583 in 2017
- 5 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2012 (5 births)
Popularity
Ellyot: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ellyot by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ellyot during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ellyot
Ellyot is a given name with origins in Old English, derived from the words "ælf" (meaning elf) and "geat" (meaning gate or path). It was a popular name among the Anglo-Saxons during the 5th to 11th centuries AD, particularly in the regions of modern-day England. The name likely originated as a reference to the mythological beings known as elves, who were believed to inhabit the forests and natural paths of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellyot can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of much of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. It lists an individual named Ellyot as a landholder in the county of Somerset.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ellyot was relatively common among the nobility and gentry of England. Notable historical figures who bore this name include Ellyot de Braose (circa 1170-1234), a powerful Marcher Lord in Wales, and Ellyot Warburton (1555-1621), an English scholar and author known for his work on ancient British history.
In the 16th century, the name Ellyot gained prominence through the English humanist scholar and diplomat, Sir Thomas Elyot (1490-1546). He was a renowned author and translator, best known for his works "The Book Named the Governor" and "The Castel of Helth," which explored topics such as education, governance, and health.
Another notable figure was Ellyot Montague (1579-1616), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of King James I for his religious beliefs. His steadfast faith and willingness to sacrifice his life for his convictions made him a revered figure among English Catholics.
In the 19th century, the name Ellyot was borne by Ellyot Warburton (1810-1852), a British officer in the East India Company who served in India and wrote extensively about his experiences and observations of the region.
While the name Ellyot has become less common in modern times, it holds a rich historical significance, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Anglo-Saxons and the enduring influence of Old English names in the British Isles.
People
Ellyot + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ellyot as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ellyot: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ellyot?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ellyot going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Ellyot a common name?
We classify Ellyot as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ellyot most popular?
The single biggest year for Ellyot was 2017, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ellyot is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ellyot in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ellyot a female name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Ellyot in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ellyot still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ellyot in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ellyot can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ellyot?
Want to know how many Americans are named Ellyot? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.