NameCensus.

UK surname

Eliot

A surname derived from a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Elijah.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Eliot surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lewisham and South Stoneham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Cornwall and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eliot is 223 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.8%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

2012

223 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eliot had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 219 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Eliot surname distribution map

The map shows where the Eliot surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Eliot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eliot over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 219 #9,712
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 196 #15,163
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 184 #19,037
1999 modern 197 #18,400
2000 modern 207 #17,833
2001 modern 202 #17,834
2002 modern 210 #17,753
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 195 #18,500
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 176 #20,028
2008 modern 182 #19,800
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 218 #18,441
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 214 #18,712
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Eliots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lewisham, South Stoneham and Eton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Cornwall, Bath and North East Somerset and Wealden. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 South Stoneham Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Eton Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 011 Sedgemoor
2 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 069 Cornwall
4 Bath and North East Somerset 007 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Wealden 002 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eliot

These lists show first names that appear often with the Eliot surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eliot

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Eliot, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Eliot surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Eliot household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Eliot is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Eliot is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Eliot falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Eliot is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Eliot, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Eliot

The surname ELIOT originates from France and is derived from the Old French personal name Eliot, itself a diminutive form of the Germanic name Aeilliout, meaning "elf council". It first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 as new French settlers arrived.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled Ayllot and Ayliet. By the 13th century, the spelling had evolved to forms like Eliot, Elyot, and Ellyot.

The surname is linked to various place names, including Eliot in Gloucestershire, derived from the Old English words "el" (elf) and "hot" (ridge or promontory). The family held lands in this area after the Norman Conquest.

In 1268, the Oxfordshire Hundred Rolls mention a John Eliot. Another early bearer was Sir John Elyot (c.1490-1546), an English diplomat and scholar who served under King Henry VIII and wrote "The Boke Named the Governour".

One notable bearer was John Eliot (1604-1690), known as the "Apostle to the Indians", who translated the Bible into the Algonquian language and helped establish several Native American towns in Massachusetts.

Thomas Eliot (1490-1546) was a Member of Parliament and one of the principal secretaries of state to King Henry VIII, while Sir John Eliot (1592-1632) was a Puritan statesman who advocated against Charles I's policies, leading to his imprisonment.

George Eliot (1819-1880), the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, was a famous English novelist known for works such as "Middlemarch" and "The Mill on the Floss". Andrew Eliot (1718-1778) was a Boston merchant and philanthropist who donated funds to establish the town of Elliot, Maine.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eliot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eliot surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 26 Eliots recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 26 1.61x
Surrey 20 2.53x
Dorset 19 17.88x
Kent 17 3.08x
Warwickshire 11 2.69x
Hampshire 10 3.01x
Lancashire 7 0.36x
Essex 6 1.88x
Northumberland 5 2.08x
Renfrewshire 5 3.98x
Sussex 5 1.83x
Wiltshire 5 3.49x
Durham 4 0.83x
Somerset 4 1.53x
Hertfordshire 3 2.69x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.95x
Cornwall 2 1.09x
Monmouthshire 2 1.71x
Berkshire 1 0.82x
Cheshire 1 0.28x
Devon 1 0.30x
Gloucestershire 1 0.31x
Inverness-shire 1 2.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 4.27x
Lanarkshire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.46x
Norfolk 1 0.40x
Roxburghshire 1 3.41x
Royal Navy 1 5.18x
Westmorland 1 2.81x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Charmouth in Dorset leads with 13 Eliots recorded in 1881 and an index of 3714.29x.

Place Total Index
Charmouth 13 3714.29x
Lewisham 10 33.94x
Kensington London 9 10.00x
Holdenhurst 8 91.85x
Farnborough 6 2857.14x
Aston 5 4.45x
Camberwell 5 4.83x
Haslingden 5 62.81x
Leyton Low 5 76.92x
Norton Bavant 5 3333.33x
Chelsea London 4 8.20x
Islington London 4 2.55x
Melcombe Regis 4 90.91x
Plumstead 4 21.72x
Tynemouth 4 31.01x
Abbey 3 15.67x
Clevedon 3 110.70x
Esh 3 85.47x
Kingston On Thames 3 15.83x
Lambeth 3 2.12x
St Pancras London 3 2.30x
Barrow In Furness 2 7.65x
Battersea 2 3.36x
Croydon 2 4.57x
Dunsfold 2 465.12x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 2 44.74x
Farnborough 2 57.31x
Godalming 2 40.24x
Motcombe 2 256.41x
Panteg 2 108.70x
Slinfold 2 465.12x
St George Hanover Square 2 7.01x
Abbots Langley 1 60.24x
Antony 1 56.50x
Barony 1 0.75x
Bengeo 1 76.92x
Bodmin 1 33.00x
Cheltenham 1 4.08x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.35x
East Grinstead 1 25.91x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 22.22x
Great Amwell 1 89.29x
Henbury Cum Pexhall 1 416.67x
Jedburgh 1 34.84x
Lambourne 1 208.33x
Neilston 1 15.87x
New Windsor 1 24.45x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 8.01x
Norton Folgate London 1 188.68x
Norton St Philip 1 357.14x
Norwich Liberty Of Town 1 588.24x
Ore 1 49.26x
Poplar London 1 3.27x
Port Glasgow 1 16.47x
Ramsgate 1 11.09x
Royal Navy 1 6.06x
Rydal Loughrigg 1 357.14x
Sleat 1 86.96x
South Bersted 1 43.10x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 14.27x
St Marylebone London 1 1.16x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.31x
Tonbridge 1 5.02x
Troqueer 1 32.47x
Weston 1 625.00x
Wimbledon 1 11.29x
Woodbury 1 100.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Eliot surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Eliot surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 9
Edward 6
Charles 5
George 5
William 5
Arthur 3
Henry 3
James 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Ralph 2
Robert 2
Roger 2
Wm. 2
Alfd. 1
Christian 1
Claud 1
Danial 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Geffery 1
Granville 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jos. 1
Laurence 1
Maurice 1
Nevill 1
Phillip 1
Reginald 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Eliot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eliot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Eliot surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eliot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Eliot a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Eliot surname mean?

A surname derived from a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Elijah.

What does the Eliot map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Eliot bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.