2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ellensohn
A German surname derived from "Son of Ellen", referring to the son of a woman named Ellen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Ellensohn. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ellensohn 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Ellensohn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellensohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ellensohn
The surname ELLENSOHN is of German origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German words "Ellen" meaning "to measure" and "Sohn" meaning "son", suggesting the name may have referred to a man whose occupation involved measuring or surveying land.
The earliest recorded instances of the ELLENSOHN surname can be traced back to the town of Ellensohn, located in the state of Bavaria, Germany. Historical records indicate that several families bearing the name resided in this small village during the 1600s.
One of the earliest known individuals with the ELLENSOHN surname was Johann Ellensohn, born in 1628 in the village of Ellensohn. He was a renowned cartographer and surveyor, known for his detailed maps of the Bavarian region. His son, Wilhelm Ellensohn (1660-1732), followed in his father's footsteps and became a respected land surveyor as well.
In the late 17th century, the ELLENSOHN name began to spread beyond Bavaria as some family members migrated to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Ellensohn (1682-1749), a merchant from Hamburg, and Gertrude Ellensohn (1701-1776), a renowned midwife who practiced in the city of Cologne.
During the 18th century, the ELLENSOHN surname gained prominence in the field of architecture. Johann Christoph Ellensohn (1737-1813), a master builder from Saxony, was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region. His nephew, Wilhelm Friedrich Ellensohn (1770-1842), followed in his footsteps and became a highly regarded architect, known for his work on various castles and manor houses in the German states.
As the 19th century dawned, the ELLENSOHN name continued to be represented in various professions. Notable individuals from this time period include Hermann Ellensohn (1815-1891), a distinguished professor of mathematics at the University of Berlin, and Friederike Ellensohn (1835-1912), a celebrated opera singer who performed in major theaters across Europe.
Throughout its history, the ELLENSOHN surname has been associated with a diverse range of occupations and achievements, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Germany and its neighboring regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellensohn
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellensohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ellensohn 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 Ellensohn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ellensohn
Ellensohn appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 14,480 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 Ellensohn 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 | #160,975 | #146,495 | 9.0% |
| Count | 100 | 114 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ellensohn bearers went from 100 to 114 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 14,480 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #146,495.
FAQ
Ellensohn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ellensohn?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Ellensohn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Ellensohn?
Ellensohn ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Ellensohn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ellensohn.
Has Ellensohn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ellensohn went from 100 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 14 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Ellensohn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellensohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Ellensohn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ellensohn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Ellensohn (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 Ellensohn mean?
A German surname derived from "Son of Ellen", referring to the son of a woman named Ellen. 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 Ellensohn (0.04 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 Ellensohn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.