NameCensus.

UK surname

Ells

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the hills".

In the 1881 census there were 141 people recorded with the Ells surname, ranking it #16,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 195, ranked #19,921, down from #16,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maidstone, Canterbury and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ells is 231 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.3%.

1881 census count

141

Ranked #16,091

Modern count

195

2016, ranked #19,921

Peak year

1911

231 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ells had 141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016, ranked #19,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Ells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ells surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ells 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 166 #14,039
1881 historical 141 #16,091
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 202 #15,010
1911 historical 231 #13,636
1997 modern 211 #17,048
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 190 #18,889
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 181 #20,879
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 195 #19,921

Geography

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Where Ells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth, St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maidstone, Canterbury, Newport and Cambridge. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital Kent
5 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
2 Canterbury 002 Canterbury
3 Maidstone 009 Maidstone
4 Newport 009 Newport
5 Cambridge 006 Cambridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ells

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ells

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Ells surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Ells household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Ells is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ells is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ells 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 Ells 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 Ells, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ells

The surname ELLS is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "eld" meaning "old" or "ancient." It is believed to have emerged as a descriptive surname in the 12th century, initially referring to someone who was considered elderly or venerable.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ELLS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Robert Eld is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 12th century, possibly even earlier.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, often spelled as "Eld" or "Elde." For instance, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 mention a person named Richard le Elde, indicating the use of the Norman-French prefix "le" before the surname.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name ELLS began to take on its modern spelling, as seen in records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which list a person named John Elles. This spelling variation likely resulted from the transition from Old English to Middle English.

Notable individuals bearing the surname ELLS throughout history include William Elles (c. 1470-1545), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1536 until his death. Another prominent figure was Sir Samuel Elles (1632-1692), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons and served as the Sheriff of London in 1681.

In the 18th century, the surname ELLS gained further recognition with individuals like Sir William Elles (1720-1804), a British naval officer and politician who served as the Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich. Additionally, John Elles (1761-1825) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Edmund Raven Elles (1831-1912) was a notable British army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became the Governor of the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.

Throughout its history, the surname ELLS has been linked to various place names, such as Elles Hall in Hertfordshire and Elles Green in Worcestershire, further solidifying its English origins and connections to the landscape.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ells 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. Kent leads with 44 Ells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.38x.

County Total Index
Kent 44 9.38x
Middlesex 32 2.33x
Surrey 21 3.13x
Yorkshire 12 0.88x
Cumberland 9 7.60x
Warwickshire 6 1.73x
Hampshire 4 1.42x
Hertfordshire 4 4.22x
Buckinghamshire 3 3.61x
Glamorgan 2 0.84x
Bedfordshire 1 1.40x
Carmarthenshire 1 1.73x
Devon 1 0.35x
Staffordshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Enfield in Middlesex leads with 12 Ells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.04x.

Place Total Index
Enfield 12 133.04x
Lambeth 11 9.17x
St Pancras London 11 9.94x
Herne 10 480.77x
Wetheral 9 573.25x
Canterbury St Mary 7 222.22x
Aston 6 6.28x
Canterbury St Paul 6 714.29x
Castleford 6 120.97x
Battersea 5 9.88x
Hackney London 5 6.48x
Margate St John Baptist 5 58.21x
Alverstoke 4 39.22x
Cheshunt 4 120.85x
New Romney 4 833.33x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 63.19x
Aylesbury 3 81.52x
Canterbury St George 3 535.71x
Charlton 3 96.15x
Camberwell 2 2.28x
Cardiff St John 2 25.58x
Edmonton 2 18.05x
Sibertswold 2 800.00x
Beddington 1 38.61x
Carmarthen St Peter 1 20.20x
Dartford 1 20.83x
Ecclesfield 1 10.01x
Gate Fulford 1 31.45x
Godmersham 1 588.24x
Hackington St Stephen 1 333.33x
Kew 1 256.41x
Northill 1 149.25x
Paddington London 1 1.98x
Pipe Hill 1 1250.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.54x
Ramsgate 1 13.05x
St Giles In Fields London 1 14.81x
Windlesham 1 79.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 13
William 10
John 8
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Stephen 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
David 2
Henry 2
James 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Byron 1
Dagnall 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Morton 1
Nimrod 1
Percival 1
Rowland 1
Thomas 1
Thos.H. 1
W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Ells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 141 people were recorded with the Ells surname. That placed it at #16,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016. That gives Ells a modern rank of #19,921.

What does the Ells surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the hills".

What does the Ells map show?

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