2000
#3,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,030
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.09
Uncommon Last name
Ellington
Derived from a place name meaning "Ēadwulf's settlement" in Old English, referring to a farmstead or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,374 Americans carry the last name Ellington. That puts it at #3,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,700 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ellington 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ellington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,700
Census rank
#3,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,791 bearers of the surname Ellington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellington, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ellington
The surname Ellington originates from England, deriving its roots from the Old English words "ell" meaning "elder tree" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement". It is believed to have first appeared in the 11th century, referring to individuals residing in areas where elder trees were plentiful.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Alintone" in reference to a village in Cambridgeshire. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Elintone, Elyngton, and eventually, Ellington.
The name gained prominence in the 13th century when Sir Robert de Ellington, a knight from Northumberland, was noted for his military service during the Wars of Scottish Independence. His descendants continued to use the surname, with some branches settling in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
In the 16th century, John Ellington, a merchant from Bristol, made a significant contribution to the city's trade and became a respected figure in the local community. His descendant, Edward Ellington (1598-1672), was a prominent lawyer and served as a judge during the English Civil War.
One of the most famous bearers of the surname is Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974), the renowned American composer, pianist, and bandleader. He was a pivotal figure in the development of jazz music and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Another notable individual with the Ellington surname is Rosamond Ellington (1893-1989), a British sculptor and painter who gained recognition for her portraiture and religious works. Her sculptures can be found in various churches and public spaces throughout England.
William Thomas Ellington (1845-1910), an American lawyer and politician, served as a United States Representative from North Carolina and played a significant role in the state's politics during the late 19th century.
The Ellington name has also been associated with various places, such as Ellington, a village in Cambridgeshire, and Ellington, a town in Connecticut, which was named after the English settlers who established it in the 17th century.
Overall, the surname Ellington has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military figures, merchants, lawyers, politicians, artists, and musicians, contributing to the cultural tapestry of various societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellington
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellington, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ellington 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 Ellington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.7% · 6,339
- Black or African American31.5% · 3,401
- Two or more races4.5% · 484
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 450
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ellington
Ellington 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
#3,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,522
+492 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Down 122 places
2020
#3,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,791
-731 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 3.61
Rank movement Down 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,010 | 11,030 | 4.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,132 | 11,522 | 3.91 | +492 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 122 places |
| 2020 | #3,266 | 10,791 | 3.61 | -731 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 134 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 Ellington 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 | #3,132 | #3,266 | -4.3% |
| Count | 11,522 | 10,791 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.91 | 3.61 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ellington bearers went from 11,522 to 10,791 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,132 to #3,266.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ellington
FAQ
Ellington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ellington?
Name Census estimates that about 12,374 living Americans carry the surname Ellington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,700 residents.
How common is Ellington?
Ellington ranks #3,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,791 people with the surname Ellington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,374), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Ellington.
Has Ellington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ellington went from 11,522 recorded bearers to 10,791. That is a decrease of 731 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,132 to #3,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Ellington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellington, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ellington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.7% (6,339 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ellington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.7%), Black (31.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ellington (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 Ellington mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Ēadwulf's settlement" in Old English, referring to a farmstead or village. 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 Ellington (3.61 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 Ellington?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.