# Ellis (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ellis/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English surname originating as a patronymic from Elis, the Middle English form of Elijah.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 188,968 |
| US rank (2010) | 131 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,634 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.9% (181,934 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛ.lɪs/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Ellice |

## Etymology

* As an English surname, from the Middle English personal name Elis, an Old French form of Elias. Compare Elijah, Lias, Ely. Also sometimes from the Elice, a pet form of Elizabeth. * As a Welsh surname, shortened from the personal name Elisse, Elisedd, from the archaic elus (“benevolent, kind”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ellis in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 70% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ellis in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Barbados.

## People named Ellis

- Albert Ellis, American psychologist (1913–2007)
- Bret Easton Ellis, American novelist, screenwriter
- Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, American actress
- Nelsan Ellis, American actor (1977–2017)
- Monta Ellis, American basketball player (born 1985)
- David R. Ellis, American film director and actor (1952-2013)
- Herb Ellis, American jazz guitarist (1921–2010)
- Jay Ellis, American actor
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis, American actress
- Jill Ellis, American soccer coach and executive
- Kendall Ellis, American sprinter
- Dale Ellis, American basketball player (born 1960)

and 48 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Elias, Ells, Eells, Ellzey, Elsey, Elzey, Elsea, Elzy, Elijah, Else.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.