2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ellcessor
A rare surname of unknown origin, possibly a variation of a locational name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Ellcessor. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ellcessor 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Ellcessor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellcessor, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ellcessor
The surname ELLCESSOR is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era, primarily in the northern counties of England. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ell," referring to a unit of measurement, and "cessor," which could mean a tax collector or assessor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a certain William Ellcessor is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational one, describing an individual responsible for measuring and assessing land for taxation purposes.
During the 14th century, the ELLCESSOR name can be found in various manorial records and court rolls from the counties of Northumberland and Durham. For instance, a John Ellcessor is mentioned in the Durham Priory Registers of 1349, though little is known about his specific role or occupation.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Ellcessour, Elcesour, and Elcessor appearing in various historical documents. One notable bearer of this surname was Sir Richard Ellcessor, a prominent landowner and knight from Northumberland, who lived during the latter half of the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the ELLCESSOR family seems to have established roots in the county of Lancashire, where they held lands and properties. A notable figure from this era was William ELLCESSOR (1523-1589), a prosperous merchant and alderman in the city of Preston.
The 17th century saw the ELLCESSOR name spread to other parts of England, with records indicating their presence in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One noteworthy individual was Thomas ELLCESSOR (1642-1718), a renowned scholar and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
By the 18th century, the ELLCESSOR surname had become well-established across various regions of England. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Sir John ELLCESSOR (1712-1789), a prominent politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Hastings, and Elizabeth ELLCESSOR (1747-1824), a renowned writer and poet.
As the centuries progressed, the ELLCESSOR name continued to be found across various parts of England, with some members of the family emigrating to other parts of the world, contributing to the global diaspora of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellcessor
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellcessor, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ellcessor 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 Ellcessor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 86
- Two or more races10.0% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ellcessor
Ellcessor 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-11 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 7,335 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 Ellcessor 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 | #148,347 | #155,682 | -4.9% |
| Count | 111 | 100 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ellcessor bearers went from 111 to 100 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 7,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #155,682.
FAQ
Ellcessor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ellcessor?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Ellcessor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Ellcessor?
Ellcessor ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Ellcessor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Ellcessor.
Has Ellcessor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ellcessor went from 111 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Ellcessor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellcessor, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (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 Ellcessor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ellcessor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Two or More Races (10.0%), Hispanic (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 Ellcessor (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 Ellcessor mean?
A rare surname of unknown origin, possibly a variation of a locational name. 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 Ellcessor (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Ellcessor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.