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

Ellison, 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 Ellison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ellison in America

Ellison is the 809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ellison surname appeared 42,827 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Ellison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ellison 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 Ellison

The surname Ellison has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name Ella or Ellen, combined with the suffix "-son," meaning "son of." This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Ella or Ellen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellison can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Ralph Elinson in Nottinghamshire. Additionally, the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, includes references to places like Ellestune and Ellenshow, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

The name Ellison has been present in various parts of England over the centuries, with notable concentrations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Ellison was also a common surname among the Quakers, a religious group that emerged in the 17th century, with several prominent individuals bearing the name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ellison was Sir Ralph Ellison, a knight who lived in the 13th century and served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1261. Another notable figure was Robert Ellison (1613-1678), an English Puritan minister who played a significant role in the religious turmoil of the 17th century.

In the literary world, Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) was an acclaimed African American novelist and scholar, best known for his novel "Invisible Man," which won the National Book Award in 1953. Harlan Ellison (1934-2018) was a prolific and influential American writer, famous for his works in the science fiction and fantasy genres, including the collection "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream."

Other notable individuals with the surname Ellison include James Ellison (1910-1993), an American actor known for his roles in Western movies, and Larry Ellison (born 1944), the co-founder and former CEO of the software company Oracle Corporation.

While the surname Ellison has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English language, reflecting the rich history and evolution of surnames in Britain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ellison

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

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

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

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