2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ellston
A locational surname derived from a place called Elliston.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ellston. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ellston 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.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ellston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellston, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Black (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ellston
The surname ELLSTON has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ell" and "tun," meaning a village or settlement near a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have originated in a location near a body of water, such as a river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELLSTON can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
The name ELLSTON has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Ellston Priory in Northamptonshire and Ellston Manor in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the development and spelling of the surname over time.
A notable figure in history bearing the name ELLSTON was Henry Ellston (1791-1868), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Peter's in Pimlico.
Another prominent ELLSTON was William Ellston (1829-1896), a British soldier and explorer who served in the British Army and later became a colonial administrator in South Africa during the late 19th century.
In the literary world, Mary Ellston (1788-1863) was a British writer and poet who published several works, including "Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects" and "The Village Muse."
Sir John Ellston (1678-1742) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Huntingdonshire in the early 18th century.
Robert Ellston (1812-1888) was a Scottish-born civil engineer who worked on various railway projects in England and Wales, including the construction of the Severn Valley Railway.
While the surname ELLSTON is not particularly common today, its historical roots and connections to various places and notable figures in England make it a fascinating example of the rich tapestry of British surnames and their origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellston
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellston, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Black (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ellston 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 Ellston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.0% · 75
- Two or more races12.5% · 14
- Black or African American8.0% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ellston
Ellston 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 393 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 393 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 Ellston 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 | #148,347 | #147,954 | 0.3% |
| Count | 111 | 112 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ellston bearers went from 111 to 112 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 393 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ellston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ellston?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ellston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ellston?
Ellston ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Ellston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ellston.
Has Ellston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ellston went from 111 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ellston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ellston, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Black (8.0%). 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 Ellston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ellston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.0%), Two or More Races (12.5%), Black (8.0%). 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 Ellston (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 Ellston mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Elliston. 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 Ellston (0.04 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 Ellston?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ellston on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.