How common is the surname Ellison?

42,827 people in the United States had the surname Ellison in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 7,209 Americans. It ranked 809th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Ellison?

Larry Ellison, American internet entrepreneur and businessman (born 1944), followed by Ralph Ellison.

Where is the surname Ellison most common?

Wikidata records people named Ellison in the United States.

How do you pronounce Ellison?

Ellison is /ˈɛlɪsən/, 3 syllables.

Is the surname Ellison getting more or less common?

More common. 41,459 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 42,827 in 2010, up 3.3%.

Is Ellison also a first name?

Yes. Ellison is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Ellison

A patronymic surname, carried by 42,827 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈɛlɪsən/ 3 syllables Soundex E425 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Ellison is more common than 99.5% of them.

Origin

From Ellis + -son.

Ellison is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 42,827 people named Ellison in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 7,209 Americans. That is up 3.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 41,459.

#809

rank among US surnames

42,827

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3.3%

change since 2000 (was #756)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#800	Sloan	43,261	7,137
#801	McLean	43,260	7,137
#802	Hendricks	43,197	7,147
#803	Calhoun	43,180	7,150
#804	Sexton	43,133	7,158
#805	Chung	43,110	7,162
#806	Gentry	43,027	7,176

Who is named Ellison

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

66% of people named Ellison identified as white (not Hispanic), 28% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.4% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 66%
Black (not Hispanic) 28%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.4%
Two or more races 2.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Ellisons

13 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

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, born 1988
Megan Ellison
American film producer from California, born 1986
David Ellison
American film producer (born 1983)
Pervis Ellison
American basketball player (born 1967)
Chase Ellison
American actor, born 1993
James Ellison
American actor (1910-1993)
Lorraine Ellison
American recording artist; singer-songwriter, 1931–1983
Flying Lotus
American record producer from California, born 1983

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Variant spellings

Ellyson
Elison

Surnames that sound like Ellison

Ellison has the Soundex code E425, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code E425.

Questions

Where does the surname Ellison come from?: From Ellis + -son.
How common is the surname Ellison?: 42,827 people in the United States had the surname Ellison in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 7,209 Americans. It ranked 809th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Ellison?: In the 2010 Census, 66% of people named Ellison identified as white (not Hispanic), and 28% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Ellison?: Larry Ellison, American internet entrepreneur and businessman (born 1944), followed by Ralph Ellison.
Where is the surname Ellison most common?: Wikidata records people named Ellison in the United States.
How do you pronounce Ellison?: Ellison is /ˈɛlɪsən/, 3 syllables.
What type of surname is Ellison?: Ellison is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Ellison getting more or less common?: More common. 41,459 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 42,827 in 2010, up 3.3%.
What are other spellings of Ellison?: Ellyson and Elison.
Is Ellison also a first name?: Yes. Ellison is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.