Explore the Family Name Ell
The meaning of Ell
1. German: metonymic occupational name for a dealer in cloth or a tailor, from Middle High German, Middle Low German el(l)e ‘yardstick, length of the lower arm’. 2. German: from a short form, Edilo, from any of various ancient Germanic personal names composed with adal ‘noble family’. 3. English: from the Middle English female personal name El(le), Latinized by medieval clerks as Ela. The name was a pet form of Elen (see Ellen) and possibly also of Eleanor (see Ellender). 4. English: perhaps from a short form of the Middle English male personal name Elis (see Ellis).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ell in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ell has seen minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 18,847 with a count of 1,342, approximately 0.5 per 100k people in the population. By 2010, its rank had slightly decreased to 19,041, but the total number of individuals bearing this name increased to 1,430, making it 0.48 per 100k.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,847 | #19,041 | -1.03% |
| Count | 1,342 | 1,430 | 6.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.5 | 0.48 | -4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ell
Based on ethnicity distribution data from the Decennial U.S. Census, those identifying as White accounted for the majority of individuals with the surname Ell. This group saw a minor decrease in representation, dropping from 86.29% in 2000 to 83.99% in 2010. The most significant change over the decade was observed within the Hispanic community, which nearly doubled in representation from 1.79% to 3.50%. Other groups such as Asian/Pacific Islander, those identifying as two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all saw increases in representation amongst individuals with the surname Ell. However, the Black community saw a slight decrease from 6.86% to 6.78% during this time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.29% | 83.99% | -2.67% |
| Black | 6.86% | 6.78% | -1.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 3.5% | 95.53% |
| Two or More Races | 1.94% | 2.38% | 22.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.64% | 1.75% | 6.71% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.49% | 1.61% | 8.05% |