NameCensus.

UK surname

Ellin

A surname derived from the name Ellen or Eleanor, originally meaning "shining light".

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Ellin surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Snaith (Pollington, Balne), Ottringham and Silkstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Kirklees and Lincoln.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ellin is 290 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.2%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

1861

290 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ellin had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 290 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Ellin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ellin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ellin 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 131 #14,243
1861 historical 290 #8,686
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 201 #14,905
1997 modern 213 #16,948
1998 modern 219 #17,115
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 220 #16,914
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 208 #17,685
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 202 #18,359
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 191 #19,871
2012 modern 187 #20,086
2013 modern 189 #20,273
2014 modern 191 #20,302
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Ellins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Snaith (Pollington, Balne), Ottringham, Silkstone, Manchester and Crowle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Kirklees, Lincoln and Sandwell. 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 Snaith (Pollington, Balne) Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Ottringham Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Crowle Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 006 Rother
2 Kirklees 027 Kirklees
3 Lincoln 003 Lincoln
4 Sandwell 017 Sandwell
5 Sandwell 019 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ellin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ellin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ellin, 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 Ellin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ellin 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ellin 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

Ellin 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

Ellin 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 Ellin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ellin

The surname Ellin is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English name Ellen, which was derived from the Germanic name Ællen or Ælwyn, meaning "all beautiful" or "complete beauty."

One of the earliest known references to the Ellin surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their holdings in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Ellin" in this historic document, suggesting its use as a surname dates back to at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the Ellin surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it is believed to have originated. Historical records from this period include references to individuals such as Robert Ellin, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1260.

During the 14th century, the Ellin surname began to spread to other parts of England, with notable individuals including John Ellin, who was recorded in the Court Rolls of Berkshire in 1327.

By the 15th century, the name had also established a presence in Scotland. One of the earliest recorded examples from this period is William Ellin, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456.

Over the centuries, the Ellin surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Elyn, Ellyn, and Ellyne. Additionally, it has been associated with several place names, such as Ellinor and Ellingthorpe, which may have influenced the surname's development.

Notable individuals with the Ellin surname throughout history include:

1. John Ellin (c. 1490 - 1557), an English clergyman and benefactor who founded a grammar school in Hertfordshire. 2. Robert Ellin (c. 1560 - 1625), an English composer and organist who served at several cathedrals and royal chapels. 3. Margaret Ellin (c. 1640 - 1718), a Scottish writer and poet whose work explored themes of religion and nature. 4. Thomas Ellin (1766 - 1834), an English industrialist and inventor who contributed to the development of the cotton industry. 5. Elizabeth Ellin (1876 - 1944), an American suffragist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reform.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ellin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ellin 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 117 Ellins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 117 7.08x
Lancashire 10 0.51x
Middlesex 9 0.54x
Nairnshire 9 176.82x
Kent 6 1.05x
Merionethshire 6 19.66x
Banffshire 4 11.56x
Dorset 3 2.74x
Lincolnshire 2 0.75x
Caernarfonshire 1 1.48x
Devon 1 0.29x
Gloucestershire 1 0.31x
Staffordshire 1 0.18x
Suffolk 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 29 Ellins recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.11x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 29 55.11x
Nether Hallam 20 89.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 18 53.54x
Nairn 9 291.26x
Manchester 8 8.99x
Ottringham 8 2424.24x
Heeley 5 99.60x
Llanycil 5 304.88x
Monk Bretton 5 299.40x
Paddington London 5 8.15x
Speldhurst 5 172.41x
Swinton In Rotherham 5 114.42x
Bradford 4 10.00x
Crowle 4 246.91x
Keith 4 108.40x
Snaith Cowick 4 404.04x
Normanton 3 60.36x
Rampisham 3 1764.71x
Southcoates 3 32.72x
Hunslet 2 7.76x
Oldham 2 3.13x
Westminster St Margaret 2 24.84x
Wilsford 2 512.82x
Altofts 1 54.95x
Clynnog 1 108.70x
East Budleigh 1 60.98x
Hilderthorpe 1 120.48x
Hook 1 27.47x
Howden 1 89.29x
Islington London 1 0.62x
Lewisham 1 3.30x
Llanfihangel Y Traethau 1 57.80x
Middlesbrough 1 4.65x
Monken Hadley 1 149.25x
Sculcoates 1 3.82x
Sibton 1 357.14x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.68x
Westbury On Trym 1 9.03x
Whitwood 1 42.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Thomas 8
Arthur 5
William 5
Charles 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
James 2
Tom 2
Baby 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Humphry 1
Joe 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sam.Croydon 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Ellin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ellin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Ellin surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ellin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Ellin a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Ellin surname mean?

A surname derived from the name Ellen or Eleanor, originally meaning "shining light".

What does the Ellin map show?

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