Explore the Family Name Elliff
The meaning of Elliff
English: variant of Ayliffe, from one of three Middle English personal names of Scandinavian origin, Ailef, Ailif, and Ailof. Old Danish, Old Swedish Elif (Old Norse Eilifr, apparently from ei ‘ever’ + lifthr ‘alive, lively’) and Elef (Old Norse Eileifr, with leifr ‘remainder’) gave rise to Ayliff(e), Aliffe, and Eliff. Old Danish, Old Swedish Elaf gave rise to Ayloff, but the names were probably confused with each other. Alternatively, Ayliffe may also arise from the Middle English female personal name Aileve, Old English Æthelgifu, which was borne by a daughter of King Alfred the Great who became abbess of Shaftesbury.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Elliff in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Elliff has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 44,574th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped slightly to 47,186th, representing a nearly 6% drop. Despite this shift in rank, the count of individuals with the Elliff surname remained relatively stable, decreasing just under 1% from 454 to 450. The proportion of people named Elliff per 100,000 also experienced an 11.76% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44,574 | #47,186 | -5.86% |
| Count | 454 | 450 | -0.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.15 | -11.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Elliff
The ethnicity distribution among those bearing the surname Elliff also shifted slightly between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals named Elliff identified as White, increasing slightly from 95.15% to 96%. There was a minor increase in those who identify with two or more ethnicities, growing from 1.32% to 1.33%. However, there was a significant decrease in those identifying as Hispanic, dropping 39.39% from 3.3% to 2%. No individuals with the surname Elliff identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.15% | 96% | 0.89% |
| Hispanic | 3.3% | 2% | -39.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 1.33% | 0.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |