NameCensus.

UK surname

Ellerby

An English place name derived from the Old Norse for "alder tree village".

In the 1881 census there were 492 people recorded with the Ellerby surname, ranking it #6,854 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 784, ranked #7,037, down from #6,854 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Jarrow, Clee and Ullceby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Ryedale and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ellerby is 814 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.3%.

1881 census count

492

Ranked #6,854

Modern count

784

2016, ranked #7,037

Peak year

1999

814 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ellerby had 492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,854 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 784 in 2016, ranked #7,037.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 685 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ellerby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ellerby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ellerby 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 330 #7,062
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 492 #6,854
1891 historical 566 #6,713
1901 historical 659 #6,572
1911 historical 685 #6,182
1997 modern 765 #6,776
1998 modern 783 #6,878
1999 modern 814 #6,700
2000 modern 793 #6,822
2001 modern 777 #6,796
2002 modern 791 #6,837
2003 modern 758 #6,953
2004 modern 752 #7,005
2005 modern 744 #7,006
2006 modern 756 #6,942
2007 modern 756 #7,009
2008 modern 751 #7,098
2009 modern 772 #7,081
2010 modern 799 #7,035
2011 modern 789 #7,033
2012 modern 750 #7,226
2013 modern 782 #7,100
2014 modern 792 #7,060
2015 modern 787 #7,026
2016 modern 784 #7,037

Geography

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Where Ellerbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Jarrow, Clee, Ullceby, Bradford and Grimsby, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Ryedale, East Lindsey and North Lincolnshire. 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 Jarrow Durham
2 Clee Lincolnshire
3 Ullceby Lincolnshire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Grimsby, Great Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 030 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
3 East Lindsey 013 East Lindsey
4 North Lincolnshire 004 North Lincolnshire
5 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ellerby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ellerby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ellerby, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ellerby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ellerby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ellerby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ellerby is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ellerby falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ellerby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ellerby

The surname ELLERBY is of English origin, deriving from the Old Norse words 'ellri' meaning 'elder tree' and 'byr' meaning 'farm' or 'settlement'. It's believed to have originated in the Yorkshire region of England, referring to a settlement or farmstead near elder trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELLERBY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Elrebi'. This reference suggests the name's existence in England during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname ELLERBY was recorded in various forms, such as 'Elreby', 'Elredby', and 'Elredebi'. These variations highlight the evolution of the name's spelling over time.

The name ELLERBY is also associated with several place names in England, notably Ellerby in North Yorkshire and Ellerby in the East Riding of Yorkshire. These locations likely contributed to the surname's development and dispersal.

Notable individuals bearing the surname ELLERBY include Sir Ralph Ellerker Ellerby (1762-1835), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Another prominent figure was William Ellerby (c. 1570-1618), an English playwright and actor who was a member of the King's Men, a prominent theatrical company during the Elizabethan era.

John Ellerby (c. 1600-1663) was an English theologian and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Chester from 1660 until his death. Additionally, Sir Thomas Ellerby (c. 1450-1518) was a prominent English soldier and courtier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

In the 18th century, Robert Ellerby (1710-1781) was a notable English architect who designed several buildings in Yorkshire, including the Westwood House in Beverley.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ellerby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ellerby 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. Yorkshire leads with 222 Ellerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 222 4.67x
Lincolnshire 144 18.77x
Lancashire 47 0.83x
Durham 25 1.75x
Middlesex 17 0.35x
Hertfordshire 9 2.72x
Essex 7 0.74x
Northumberland 7 0.98x
Leicestershire 5 0.94x
Warwickshire 4 0.33x
Cheshire 2 0.19x
Devon 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Surrey 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ulceby in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Ellerbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1069.52x.

Place Total Index
Ulceby 20 1069.52x
Sculcoates 19 25.20x
Southcoates 15 56.82x
Great Grimsby 13 26.69x
Middlesbrough 13 20.99x
Spilsby 13 532.79x
Moss Side 12 40.04x
Bradford 11 9.55x
East Keal 11 1692.31x
Louth 11 62.54x
Pendleton In Salford 10 14.74x
Thornton Curtis 10 1298.70x
Hutton Le Hole 9 2000.00x
Clifton In York 8 80.40x
Grimoldby 8 1333.33x
Scarborough 8 18.51x
Bromley London 7 6.63x
Cornforth 7 166.67x
Ecclesfield 7 20.07x
Roos 7 795.45x
Salton 7 2800.00x
Stockton On Tees 7 10.17x
Sutton Stoneferry 7 51.43x
Wallsend 7 30.91x
West Ham 7 3.35x
Barton St Mary 6 155.84x
Crosby 6 8571.43x
Eastville 6 1016.95x
Holy Trinity 6 5.25x
North South Killingholme 6 472.44x
Ottringham 6 638.30x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 46.66x
Slingsby 6 612.24x
Tong 6 65.29x
Goxhill 5 264.55x
Muston 5 980.39x
North Meols 5 8.97x
Nunthorpe 5 1851.85x
Pontefract 5 48.83x
Pudsey 5 19.67x
St Marylebone London 5 1.95x
Wath In Ripon Norton 5 862.07x
Barton St Peter 4 113.64x
Beverley St Mary 4 57.55x
Burgh In Marsh 4 213.90x
Cheetham 4 9.42x
Hertford St Andrew 4 97.80x
Manchester 4 1.56x
St Botolph Lincoln 4 72.46x
Alford 3 63.03x
Ardwick 3 5.84x
Auckland St Andrew 3 79.58x
Cliff Cum Lund 3 285.71x
Darlington 3 5.44x
Everton 3 1.65x
Goulsbey 3 731.71x
Standon 3 88.24x
Terrington With 3 326.09x
Whitwell On The Hill 3 909.09x
Carnaby 2 666.67x
Danby Commondale 2 384.62x
Great Ouseburn 2 243.90x
Halliwell 2 9.65x
Hinderwell 2 49.26x
Huddersfield 2 2.89x
Immingham 2 454.55x
Islington London 2 0.43x
Leamington Priors 2 6.72x
Levenshulme 2 34.13x
Naburn 2 215.05x
Pickering 2 33.39x
South Shields 2 15.72x
Sunk Island 2 289.86x
Sutton 2 36.90x
Totteridge 2 194.17x
Wakefield 2 5.48x
Winteringham 2 181.82x
Chilton 1 22.42x
Keyingham 1 96.15x
Norton 1 19.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Elizabeth 29
Ann 13
Jane 12
Hannah 10
Annie 9
Sarah 9
Eliza 8
Emily 7
Emma 7
Edith 5
Margaret 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Eleanor 4
Fanny 4
Kate 4
Rachel 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Ethel 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Betsy 2
Clara 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Anna 1
Anny 1
Charlotte 1
Crissey 1
Easter 1
Edna 1
Emmaline 1
Georgina 1
Goldie 1
Lavinia 1
Letitia 1
Lillian 1
Littie 1
Lotitia 1
Mabel 1
Marg.Ann 1
Marion 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
William 31
Robert 18
George 17
Thomas 14
Charles 13
Joseph 13
James 9
Frederick 7
Arthur 5
Richard 5
Harry 4
Henry 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Herbert 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Harold 2
Matthew 2
Tom 2
Christopher 1
Edmund 1
Edw.Ralp. 1
Edward 1
Eric 1
Finlay 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Geo.H. 1
Jane 1
Jno.Fentriss 1
Jno.W.A. 1
Jonathan 1
Mark 1
Oscar 1
Parnell 1
Partridge 1
Peircy 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Robt.Thos. 1
Ruben 1
Sampson 1
Samuel 1
Stephenson 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Ellerby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ellerby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 492 people were recorded with the Ellerby surname. That placed it at #6,854 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ellerby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 784 in 2016. That gives Ellerby a modern rank of #7,037.

What does the Ellerby surname mean?

An English place name derived from the Old Norse for "alder tree village".

What does the Ellerby map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ellerby 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.