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

Ellestad, 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 Ellestad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ellestad in America

Ellestad is the 46811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ellestad surname appeared 454 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 Ellestad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ellestad 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 Ellestad

The surname ELLESTAD originates from Norway, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from a combination of the Old Norse words "ellr" meaning "moraine" and "stadr" meaning "place" or "farm." This suggests that the name likely referred to a family or individual who lived near a glacial moraine.

The earliest known recorded instance of the name ELLESTAD can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and letters. In a document dated 1278, a man named Thorir Ellestad is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the region of Trøndelag.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, various spellings of the name appeared in parish records and census documents across Norway, including Ellestadr, Ellestadh, and Ellestadz. These variations reflect the evolution of the language and regional dialects at the time.

One notable individual bearing the ELLESTAD surname was Arne Ellestad, a Norwegian farmer and politician who lived from 1828 to 1906. He served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, representing the district of Nord-Trøndelag from 1877 to 1888.

Another historically significant figure was Ingrid Ellestad, a Norwegian folk singer and musician born in 1867. She played a crucial role in preserving and promoting traditional Norwegian folk music, particularly in the regions of Valdres and Hallingdal.

In the late 19th century, a small but notable migration of individuals with the ELLESTAD surname occurred from Norway to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Nils Ellestad, who arrived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in 1872.

Historically, the ELLESTAD name has also been associated with several place names in Norway, such as the farm Ellestad in the municipality of Rennebu, and the village of Ellestad in the municipality of Oppdal, both located in the county of Trøndelag.

Other notable individuals with the ELLESTAD surname include Knut Ellestad, a Norwegian-American artist and sculptor (1868-1942), and Elise Ellestad, a Norwegian author and journalist (1892-1976), known for her works on women's rights and social issues.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ellestad

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

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 Ellestad 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 Ellestad 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 Ellestad was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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