NameCensus.

UK surname

Ellison

Derived from the English place name meaning "Ellis's son" or "son of Ellis."

In the 1881 census there were 6,264 people recorded with the Ellison surname, ranking it #690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,762, ranked #850, down from #690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Shropshire and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ellison is 8,546 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.9%.

1881 census count

6,264

Ranked #690

Modern count

7,762

2016, ranked #850

Peak year

1911

8,546 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ellison had 6,264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,762 in 2016, ranked #850.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,546 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ellison surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ellison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ellison 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 3,767 #756
1861 historical 4,107 #679
1881 historical 6,264 #690
1891 historical 6,506 #700
1901 historical 7,872 #679
1911 historical 8,546 #574
1997 modern 7,869 #820
1998 modern 8,052 #833
1999 modern 8,154 #827
2000 modern 8,132 #823
2001 modern 7,921 #827
2002 modern 8,058 #832
2003 modern 7,854 #826
2004 modern 7,834 #831
2005 modern 7,654 #842
2006 modern 7,556 #858
2007 modern 7,609 #859
2008 modern 7,628 #861
2009 modern 7,884 #850
2010 modern 8,068 #848
2011 modern 7,878 #858
2012 modern 7,677 #861
2013 modern 7,848 #857
2014 modern 7,916 #851
2015 modern 7,802 #855
2016 modern 7,762 #850

Geography

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Where Ellisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Wigan, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Shropshire, Liverpool, Wigan and Bradford. 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 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 033 Sunderland
2 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
3 Liverpool 044 Liverpool
4 Wigan 031 Wigan
5 Bradford 023 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ellison

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ellison

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Ellison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ellison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ellison 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

Ellison is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ellison falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ellison 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 Ellison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ellison

The surname Ellison has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name Ella or Ellen, combined with the suffix "-son," meaning "son of." This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Ella or Ellen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellison can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Ralph Elinson in Nottinghamshire. Additionally, the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, includes references to places like Ellestune and Ellenshow, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

The name Ellison has been present in various parts of England over the centuries, with notable concentrations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Ellison was also a common surname among the Quakers, a religious group that emerged in the 17th century, with several prominent individuals bearing the name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ellison was Sir Ralph Ellison, a knight who lived in the 13th century and served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1261. Another notable figure was Robert Ellison (1613-1678), an English Puritan minister who played a significant role in the religious turmoil of the 17th century.

In the literary world, Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) was an acclaimed African American novelist and scholar, best known for his novel "Invisible Man," which won the National Book Award in 1953. Harlan Ellison (1934-2018) was a prolific and influential American writer, famous for his works in the science fiction and fantasy genres, including the collection "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream."

Other notable individuals with the surname Ellison include James Ellison (1910-1993), an American actor known for his roles in Western movies, and Larry Ellison (born 1944), the co-founder and former CEO of the software company Oracle Corporation.

While the surname Ellison has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English language, reflecting the rich history and evolution of surnames in Britain.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ellison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ellison 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. Lancashire leads with 2,505 Ellisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,505 3.42x
Yorkshire 1,179 1.93x
Cheshire 474 3.48x
Durham 378 2.06x
Northumberland 311 3.39x
Middlesex 275 0.45x
Surrey 140 0.47x
Wiltshire 96 1.76x
Warwickshire 76 0.49x
Westmorland 69 5.09x
Kent 64 0.30x
Isle of Man 63 5.50x
Staffordshire 63 0.30x
Shropshire 55 1.03x
Derbyshire 53 0.55x
Cumberland 50 0.94x
Essex 38 0.31x
Worcestershire 38 0.47x
Hampshire 35 0.28x
Lincolnshire 30 0.30x
Berkshire 29 0.63x
Lanarkshire 28 0.14x
Gloucestershire 27 0.22x
Norfolk 27 0.28x
Sussex 26 0.25x
Midlothian 22 0.27x
Monmouthshire 21 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.25x
Somerset 19 0.19x
Inverness-shire 10 0.54x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.20x
Northamptonshire 8 0.14x
Perthshire 8 0.29x
Bedfordshire 7 0.22x
Ross-shire 6 0.35x
East Lothian 5 0.61x
Glamorgan 5 0.05x
Suffolk 5 0.07x
Denbighshire 4 0.17x
Devon 4 0.03x
Dorset 4 0.10x
Oxfordshire 4 0.11x
Roxburghshire 4 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.21x
Anglesey 2 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.10x
Sutherland 2 0.42x
Angus 1 0.02x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.08x
Kincardineshire 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.01x
Peeblesshire 1 0.34x
Royal Navy 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 144 Ellisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.39x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 144 7.39x
West Derby 119 5.56x
Ince In Makerfield 108 31.70x
Leeds 100 2.90x
Toxteth Park 98 3.95x
Wigan 89 8.70x
Manchester 81 2.46x
Liverpool 78 1.75x
Preston 73 3.73x
Gateshead 68 4.95x
Chorley 62 15.09x
Ashton Under Lyne 61 3.81x
Warrington 58 6.68x
Manningham 54 7.17x
Cramlington 51 42.04x
Parr 51 19.47x
Everton 50 2.14x
Salford 49 2.28x
Bradfield 47 19.94x
Over Darwen 47 8.04x
Lambeth 44 0.82x
Monks Coppenhall 42 8.17x
Windle 42 10.20x
Runcorn 40 12.74x
Shoreditch London 38 1.42x
Skipton 38 19.75x
Barnsley 36 5.71x
Bishopwearmouth 36 2.28x
Bradford 36 2.43x
Eccleston In Prescot 36 9.79x
Bingley 34 8.73x
Keighley 34 5.22x
Ightfield 33 453.92x
Stretford 33 8.19x
St Pancras London 31 0.62x
Aspull 30 17.42x
Broughton In Salford 30 4.48x
Warwick St Mary 30 22.21x
Accrington 29 4.36x
Bury 28 3.35x
Islington London 28 0.47x
Sutton 28 11.40x
Birkenhead 27 2.49x
Clifton 27 49.15x
Cheetham 26 4.76x
Horton In Bradford 26 2.72x
Nether Hallam 26 3.14x
North Meols 26 3.63x
Carlton In Skipton 25 69.95x
Chipping 25 119.90x
Swindon 25 5.91x
St George Hanover Square 24 2.21x
Bootle Cum Linacre 23 3.96x
Barrow In Furness 22 2.21x
Heap 22 5.67x
Hulme 22 1.44x
Walton On Hill 22 5.55x
Barony 21 0.42x
Chelsea London 21 1.13x
Kirkdale 21 1.71x
Thornton In Bradford 21 10.32x
Wilsden 21 33.44x
Great Bolton 20 2.06x
Great Harwood 20 15.11x
Latchford 20 22.10x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 20 3.65x
Burnley 19 3.08x
Fazeley 19 50.17x
Halliwell 19 7.13x
Hunslet 19 1.99x
Lancaster 19 4.36x
Steeton Cum Eastburn 19 90.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 18 0.54x
Holbeck 18 4.44x
Maughold 18 20.36x
Clayton 17 11.36x
Cleckheaton 17 7.55x
Ecclesfield 17 3.79x
Livesey 17 13.23x
Newton In Makerfield 17 7.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 462
Elizabeth 301
Sarah 214
Ann 170
Jane 153
Margaret 145
Ellen 127
Alice 118
Annie 101
Martha 97
Hannah 71
Eliza 68
Emma 57
Emily 45
Isabella 43
Maria 34
Edith 31
Agnes 29
Charlotte 29
Florence 25
Anne 23
Harriet 23
Catherine 22
Clara 22
Louisa 22
Lucy 22
Rebecca 21
Frances 20
Ada 19
Fanny 18
Esther 15
Kate 14
Bertha 13
Elizth. 13
Ruth 13
Eliz. 12
Caroline 11
Ethel 11
Gertrude 11
Amy 10
Grace 10
Jessie 10
Nancy 10
Selina 10
Susannah 10
Susan 9
Minnie 8
Phoebe 8
Rachel 8
Rose 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 450
William 394
Thomas 322
James 215
George 161
Joseph 158
Henry 98
Richard 94
Robert 85
Charles 78
Edward 55
Arthur 43
Samuel 41
Alfred 37
Walter 35
Albert 32
Frederick 32
Ralph 23
David 21
Isaac 21
Thos. 20
Wm. 20
Harry 19
Peter 18
Herbert 17
Tom 17
Francis 16
Frank 16
Edwin 14
Ernest 14
Matthew 14
Benjamin 13
Abel 12
Fred 12
Willm. 10
Christopher 9
Robt. 9
Michael 8
Abraham 7
Andrew 7
Edmund 7
Job 7
Joshua 7
Luke 7
Cuthbert 6
Daniel 6
Geo. 6
Jas. 6
Timothy 6
Fredrick 5

FAQ

Ellison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ellison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,264 people were recorded with the Ellison surname. That placed it at #690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ellison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,762 in 2016. That gives Ellison a modern rank of #850.

What does the Ellison surname mean?

Derived from the English place name meaning "Ellis's son" or "son of Ellis."

What does the Ellison map show?

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