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

Elliott, 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 Elliott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elliott in America

Elliott is the 210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elliott surname appeared 135,765 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 46 people would have the surname Elliott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elliott 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 Elliott

The surname Elliott has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Eliot, which means "all-conquering." The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the counties of Roxburghshire and Dumfriesshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "Eliot." This document was a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 14th century, the spelling variations of the name included Elyot, Elyet, and Elyott. These variations were commonly found in medieval records and manuscripts from that period.

The name is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Elliotston in Roxburghshire and Elliot Water, a tributary of the River Teviot. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Elliott surname who settled in or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Elliott throughout history include:

1. Sir John Elliott (1598-1668), an English diplomat and member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.
2. John Elliott (1725-1786), an American merchant and politician from Massachusetts who played a significant role in the American Revolution.
3. Ebenezer Elliott (1781-1849), an English poet and activist known as the "Corn Law Rhymer" for his efforts to repeal the Corn Laws, which restricted the import of grain.
4. Jesse D. Elliott (1782-1845), an American naval officer who served in the War of 1812 and later became a commodore in the United States Navy.
5. Charles Loring Elliott (1812-1868), an American landscape painter and one of the founders of the Hudson River School, renowned for his depictions of the American wilderness.

Throughout its history, the Elliott surname has been associated with various notable individuals, from politicians and military figures to artists and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elliott

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

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

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

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