Find out how popular the last name Ellen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ellen.

Ellen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ellen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ellen in America

Ellen is the 22770th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ellen surname appeared 1,125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ellen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ellen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ellen

The surname Ellen has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name Æthelwine, which means "noble friend" or "noble protector." The name Æthelwine was a combination of the elements "æthel" (noble) and "wine" (friend).

In the early days, surnames were often formed by adding the suffix "-ing" to a personal name, indicating familial descent or association. This resulted in the surname Ellening or Elleninge, which eventually evolved into the modern form Ellen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ellen surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named "Aluen" in Buckinghamshire.

During the medieval period, the Ellen surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. Some notable examples include William Ellen, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, and John Ellen, mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1332.

Over the centuries, the Ellen surname has been associated with various place names and locations. For instance, the village of Ellenhall in Staffordshire is believed to have derived its name from the Ellen family who once owned land in the area.

Amongst the notable individuals bearing the Ellen surname throughout history are:

1. Sir John Ellen (c. 1510 - 1586), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. William Ellen (fl. 1650), an English author and puritan minister who wrote several religious works.
3. John Ellen (1797 - 1874), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.
4. Joseph Ellen (1824 - 1901), an English artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
5. Henry Ellen (1862 - 1945), a British architect and designer who contributed to the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Ellen surname continues to be found throughout various parts of the United Kingdom and has also been carried by families who immigrated to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ellen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ellen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ellen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ellen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ellen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ellen, please contact us.

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