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

Ellingson, 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 Ellingson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ellingson in America

Ellingson is the 6130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ellingson surname appeared 5,590 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ellingson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ellingson 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 Ellingson

The surname Ellingson has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD. The name is a patronymic, meaning it was derived from the given name of the father or ancestor.

The name Ellingson is thought to be derived from the Old Norse name Erlingr, which means "descended from the earl" or "son of an earl." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have had noble or aristocratic roots, as earls held high positions in the social hierarchy of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ellingson name can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book that documents the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. The book mentions an individual named Erlingr Gamli, who lived in the late 9th century and was one of the first settlers in Iceland.

In Norway, the name Ellingson can be traced back to the 13th century, appearing in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is Erling Vidkunsson, a Norwegian nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and was a prominent figure in the civil wars that plagued Norway during that time.

As the name spread across Scandinavia, it also took on various spelling variations, such as Ellingsen, Ellingsson, and Erlendsson. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic differences within the region.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Ellingson surname have made notable contributions in various fields. One example is Peer Ellingson (1910-1982), a Norwegian-American engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of the transistor radio and other electronic devices.

Another notable figure is Jens Ellingson (1858-1946), a Norwegian-American politician who served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the field of literature, Torborg Nedreaas (née Ellingson) (1906-1987) was a prominent Norwegian author known for her novels and short stories, which explored themes of identity, relationships, and societal norms.

Einar Ellingson (1906-1994) was a Norwegian-American educator and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of South Asian languages, particularly Sanskrit and Pali.

Lastly, Terje Ellingson (born 1948) is a Norwegian writer and journalist who has published numerous books and articles on topics ranging from political satire to travel literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ellingson

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

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

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

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