2000
#7,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Elledge
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "elder tree valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,501 Americans carry the last name Elledge. That puts it at #8,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,151 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elledge 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
4.5K
1 in 76,151
Census rank
#8,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,925 bearers of the surname Elledge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elledge
The surname Elledge has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "elled" meaning "old" and "ecge" meaning "edge" or "border." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near an ancient boundary or edge of a settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a William Elledge is listed. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, records show the name appearing in various forms, such as Eledge, Ellegedge, and Elygge. These variations likely stem from the way the name was pronounced and recorded by scribes in different areas.
The Elledge surname is also linked to several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. For instance, the village of Elledge in Gloucestershire may have derived its name from the same root as the surname.
One notable bearer of the Elledge surname was John Elledge, a merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol, England, in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the city's trade and governance during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, the Elledge family expanded their presence across England, with records showing individuals with this surname in counties like Wiltshire, Somerset, and Oxfordshire.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Elledge, born in 1632 in Wiltshire. He was a respected scholar and author who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical subjects.
During the 18th century, the Elledge surname continued to spread, with families settling in various parts of England and even venturing to the American colonies.
One notable bearer from this time was William Elledge, born in 1712 in Somerset. He was a successful merchant and landowner who left a significant impact on his local community.
As the 19th century dawned, the Elledge surname had firmly established itself as a respected family name in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elledge
Among Census respondents with the surname Elledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elledge 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 Elledge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 3,376
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 196
- Two or more races4.8% · 190
- Black or African American2.1% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elledge
Elledge 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
#8,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,110
-3 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 596 places
2020
#8,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,925
-185 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,464 | 4,113 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,060 | 4,110 | 1.39 | -3 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 596 places |
| 2020 | #8,083 | 3,925 | 1.31 | -185 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 23 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 Elledge 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 | #8,060 | #8,083 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,110 | 3,925 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.31 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elledge bearers went from 4,110 to 3,925 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,060 to #8,083.
FAQ
Elledge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elledge?
Name Census estimates that about 4,501 living Americans carry the surname Elledge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,151 residents.
How common is Elledge?
Elledge ranks #8,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,925 people with the surname Elledge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Elledge.
Has Elledge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elledge went from 4,110 recorded bearers to 3,925. That is a decrease of 185 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,060 to #8,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Elledge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Elledge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (3,376 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elledge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Elledge (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 Elledge mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "elder tree valley" in Old English. 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 Elledge (1.31 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 people have the surname Elledge?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.