2000
#197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132,457
First available Census row
Per 100,000 49.10
Common Last name
Elliott
A surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the Greek name Elias, meaning "Jehovah is God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 151,250 Americans carry the last name Elliott. That puts it at #216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 44.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elliott 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 Elliott with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
151K
1 in 2,266
Census rank
#216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
44.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131,897 bearers of the surname Elliott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 44.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliott, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elliott
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliott, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Elliott 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 Elliott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 103,325
- Black or African American12.9% · 16,995
- Two or more races4.3% · 5,652
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 4,258
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 893
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 774
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elliott
Elliott 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
#210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135,765
+3,308 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 46.03
Rank movement Down 13 places
2020
#216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131,897
-3,868 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 44.13
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #197 | 132,457 | 49.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #210 | 135,765 | 46.03 | +3,308 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 13 places |
| 2020 | #216 | 131,897 | 44.13 | -3,868 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 6 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 Elliott 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 | #210 | #216 | -2.9% |
| Count | 135,765 | 131,897 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 46.03 | 44.13 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elliott bearers went from 135,765 to 131,897 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #210 to #216.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Elliott
FAQ
Elliott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elliott?
Name Census estimates that about 151,250 living Americans carry the surname Elliott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,266 residents.
How common is Elliott?
Elliott ranks #216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 44.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 44 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 131,897 people with the surname Elliott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (151,250), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 44.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 44.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 44 of them to have the surname Elliott.
Has Elliott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elliott went from 135,765 recorded bearers to 131,897. That is a decrease of 3,868 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #210 to #216.
What does the Census say about the background of Elliott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliott, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Elliott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (103,325 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elliott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (12.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Elliott (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 Elliott mean?
A surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the Greek name Elias, meaning "Jehovah is God." 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 Elliott (44.13 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 common is the surname Elliott?
You can see how common the surname Elliott is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.