Explore the Family Name Elliott

The meaning of Elliott

1. English: from the Middle English, Old French personal name Eliot, a pet form of the Old Testament name Elijah, rendered in Greek as Ēlias and in Old French as Élie + the diminutive suffix -ot; compare Ellis. The name Aylett may in some cases also have been confused with or absorbed into Elliott. 2. Scottish: late variant of Elwood. 3. Scottish (of Breton origin): perhaps, as some members of the Elliott clan believe, a Scottish variant of the Breton surname Elleouet, a habitational name from one of the hamlets named Allegot in Finistère. History: DNA research points to significant numbers of Eliott clan members having Breton ancestry (see 3 above), but DNA evidence is not a safe predictor of the language or origin of a surname, and the documentary evidence fits better with the origin given in 2: Robert Elwald of the Redheugh (in Newcastleton, Roxburghshire), who died c.1566, was also known as Robert Ellot, and his son was known as Gilbert Elliot of Stobs (died 1634).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Elliott in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Elliott saw a slight increase in count between the years 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname Elliott was ranked 197th in terms of frequency, but by 2010 it had slipped to 210th place, indicating a relative decrease in its popularity. The actual count of individuals bearing the surname Elliott increased marginally from 132,457 in 2000 to 135,765 in 2010, a change of 2.5%. However, when adjusted for population growth, the proportion per 100k people with this surname slightly fell from 49.1 in 2000 to 46.03 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#197#210-6.6%
Count132,457135,7652.5%
Proportion per 100k49.146.03-6.25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Elliott

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts for the surname Elliott between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage increase was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, jumping from 1.45% to 2.21%, an increase of 52.41%. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation also grew by 28.57%, although it remained a small proportion of the total. Those identifying as two or more races also experienced a significant increase, going up by 35.14%. Meanwhile, white representation decreased slightly from 83.87% in 2000 to 81.62% in 2010. Black representation showed a modest increase from 12.16% to 12.96%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation displayed a small rise, increasing by 6.45%.

20002010Change
White83.87%81.62%-2.68%
Black12.16%12.96%6.58%
Hispanic1.45%2.21%52.41%
Two or More Races1.48%2%35.14%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.62%0.66%6.45%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.42%0.54%28.57%

Elliott ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Elliott is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.1%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish54.9%
French & German23.1%
Eastern European3.9%
Other18.1%
Elliott

Possible origins of the surname Elliott

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Elliott have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom88.10%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom88.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom87.60%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom87.40%

What Elliott haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Elliott is R-BY451, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-BY451 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Black, Thompson, Smith, Wilson, Taylor, Roberts, Young, Clark, Robinson, Brown.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Elliott surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

elliottPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Elliott have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Elliott

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Elliott" Surname 43.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Elliott

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Elliott" Surname 26.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Elliott

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Elliott" Surname 22.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Elliott

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Elliott" Surname 17.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Elliott?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Elliott are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%