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

Estill, 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 Estill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Estill in America

Estill is the 20364th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Estill surname appeared 1,305 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Estill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Estill 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 Estill

The surname Estill originates from England and is believed to date back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "east" and "hill," referring to a location or settlement situated on an eastern hill or slope. The name was likely first used to identify individuals living in such areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Estill can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxable resources throughout England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions individuals with variations of the name, such as "Esthulle" and "Esthilla."

During the Middle Ages, the surname Estill began to appear more frequently in various records and documents across England. In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Estill was a landowner and prominent figure in the county of Kent. Records from the 14th century mention a John Estill, who served as a sheriff in the city of London.

As the name spread across different regions of England, it evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Estill, Estell, Estelle, and Estill. Some of these variations were also influenced by the Norman French language, which was prevalent in certain areas of England during this period.

In the 16th century, the Estill family established themselves as landowners and influential figures in the county of Essex. One notable member was Sir Thomas Estill (1515-1588), who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his services to the crown.

Another prominent figure with the surname Estill was Robert Estill (1660-1718), a successful merchant and philanthropist from the city of Bristol. He made significant contributions to the city's development and funded the construction of several churches and charitable institutions.

In the 18th century, the Estill surname gained recognition in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Benjamin Estill (1726-1781), a pioneer and militia officer who played a significant role in the settlement of Kentucky. He was killed in the Battle of Little Mountain during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals with the surname Estill made notable contributions in various fields. These include William Estill (1854-1928), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from California, and Josiah Estill (1867-1941), a prominent educator and administrator who served as the president of several universities in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Estill

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

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

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

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