# Ellison (surname)

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

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 42,827 |
| US rank (2010) | 809 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,209 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.3% (41,459 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛlɪsən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Ellyson, Elison |

## Etymology

From Ellis + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ellison 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) | 66% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 28% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ellison in the United States.

## People named Ellison

- Larry Ellison, American internet entrepreneur and businessman (born 1944)
- Ralph Ellison, American novelist, literary critic, scholar and writer (1914-1994)
- Harlan Ellison, American writer (1934–2018)
- Keith Ellison, American politician (born 1963)
- Brady Ellison, American archer
- Megan Ellison, American film producer from California
- David Ellison, American film producer (born 1983)
- Pervis Ellison, American basketball player (born 1967)
- Chase Ellison, American actor
- James Ellison, American actor (1910-1993)
- Lorraine Ellison, American recording artist; singer-songwriter
- Flying Lotus, American record producer from California

and 1 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Eliason, Elson, Elkins, Elizondo, Elkin, Elgin, Elsner.

## 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.