Explore the Family Name Eliot
The meaning of Eliot
English and Scottish: variant of Elliott. History: Andrew Eliot, a shoemaker of East Coker, Somerset, England, who emigrated to Boston, MA, in 1670, was the founder of a distinguished American family which included the poet T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), who was born in St. Louis, MO. The earliest Eliot recorded in North America was John Eliot (1604–90), a Puritan missionary known as the ‘Indian Apostle’, who was born in Hertfordshire and sailed to Boston in 1631. He later settled in Roxbury, MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Eliot in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Eliot has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The surname was ranked as the 31,167th most popular surname in the United States in 2000 and fell to the 33,196th position in 2010, marking a change of -6.51%. In terms of count, there were 704 individuals bearing the name Eliot in 2000, which slightly decreased to 689 by 2010, representing a -2.13% change. This led to a decrease in the proportion of people with this surname per 100k from 0.26 in 2000 to 0.23 in 2010, showing an 11.54% drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,167 | #33,196 | -6.51% |
| Count | 704 | 689 | -2.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.23 | -11.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Eliot
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Eliot, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the overwhelming majority identified as White, accounting for 90.77% of those with the surname. However, this number slightly decreased to 86.94% in 2010, marking a -4.22% change. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic increased by 152.11%, rising from 2.13% in 2000 to 5.37% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Black saw a decrease from 4.40% in 2000 to 3.63% in 2010, a change of -17.50%. Interestingly, there were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, 2.61% identified as Asian/Pacific Islander.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.77% | 86.94% | -4.22% |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 5.37% | 152.11% |
| Black | 4.4% | 3.63% | -17.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.61% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.14% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |