Explore the Family Name Ellis
The meaning of Ellis
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Elis, an Old French vernacular form of Elias, the Latin and New Testament Greek form of Hebrew Eliyahu; see Elijah and compare Elias, Lias, Ely. This surname is also common among African Americans. 2. English: possibly in some instances from the Middle English female personal name Elice, a pet form of Elizabeth. 3. Welsh: from Elis, a shortened form of the Welsh personal name Elisse (earlier Elisedd, a derivative of elus ‘kindly, benevolent’). As usual in Welsh, the stress in Elisse is on the penultimate syllable -li-, which shifts to initial El- when the name is shortened to Elis. It later became confused with Ellis in 1 above. 4. Americanized form of some original Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname (most likely, based on Yiddish form of the Biblical personal name Elijah).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ellis in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Ellis" saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ellis was ranked 121st in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had slipped to 131st, marking a decrease of 8.26%. Despite this drop in ranking, the number of individuals carrying the surname Ellis increased from 181,934 in 2000 to 188,968 in 2010, an increase of 3.87%. However, when the figures are calculated as a proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease from 67.44 to 64.06, a change of -5.01%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #121 | #131 | -8.26% |
| Count | 181,934 | 188,968 | 3.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 67.44 | 64.06 | -5.01% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ellis
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Ellis. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a notable increase in the percentage of Ellis' identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (22.73% increase), Two or more races (36.59% increase), and Hispanic (49.18% increase). The largest ethnic group remained those identifying as White, although their proportion decreased by 3.38% to 70.36% in 2010. The proportion of Ellis' identifying as Black also increased slightly by 3.85%, while the proportion identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.82% | 70.36% | -3.38% |
| Black | 22.6% | 23.47% | 3.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 2.73% | 49.18% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.24% | 36.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.66% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.54% | 22.73% |
Ellis 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 Ellis is British & Irish, which comprises 53.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.4% |
| French & German | 21.1% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 22.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Ellis
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 Ellis have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
What Ellis 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 Ellis is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-P109, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thompson, Fox, Taylor, Wilson, Simmons, Thomas, Smith, Harris, Gibson, Clark.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ellis surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Ellis 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ellis" Surname 42.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ellis" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ellis" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ellis" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ellis?
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 Ellis are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition