2000
#3,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,714
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.23
Rare Last name
Elliot
Derived from a diminutive form of the medieval personal name Elias, ultimately from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, meaning "Yahweh is God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,655 Americans carry the last name Elliot. That puts it at #4,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,602 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Elliot surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Elliot with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,602
Census rank
#4,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,548 bearers of the surname Elliot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Elliot
The surname Elliot has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "El" meaning "bravery" and "lot" which translates to "one who is brave". The name is believed to have originated in the Borders region, particularly in areas such as Roxburghshire and Dumfriesshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name is spelled as "Eliot". In the 14th century, the spelling evolved to "Elyot" and "Elyet" before settling into the modern form of "Elliot".
The name is closely associated with the town of Elliot in Angus, Scotland, which was once known as "Elyot" or "Elyott". This place name is believed to have been derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the Elliot family may have held lands or influence in this area.
One of the earliest recorded Elliots is Sir John Elliot, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and held lands in Roxburghshire. Another notable figure is Gilbert Elliot, who was born in 1651 and served as the Lord Clerk Register of Scotland in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Elliot family gained prominence with the rise of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet of Minto, who was born in 1722 and served as the Governor-General of the Province of Toulon in France. His son, Gilbert Elliot, 1st Earl of Minto, was born in 1751 and had a distinguished career as a diplomat and politician.
The 19th century saw the emergence of George Augustus Elliot, 1st Baron Heathfield, who was born in 1718 and is best known for his successful defense of Gibraltar during the Great Siege of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783.
Throughout its history, the Elliot surname has been associated with several notable families and individuals, reflecting its Scottish heritage and the bravery and resilience often attributed to those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elliot
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Elliot bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Elliot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.7% · 5,640
- Black or African American14.8% · 1,115
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 359
- Two or more races3.9% · 295
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 81
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Elliot
Elliot appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,518
-196 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 422 places
2020
#4,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,548
-970 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Down 402 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,738 | 8,714 | 3.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,160 | 8,518 | 2.89 | -196 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 422 places |
| 2020 | #4,562 | 7,548 | 2.53 | -970 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 402 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Elliot surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,160 | #4,562 | -9.7% |
| Count | 8,518 | 7,548 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.53 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Elliot bearers went from 8,518 to 7,548 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 402 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,160 to #4,562.
FAQ
Elliot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Elliot?
Name Census estimates that about 8,655 living Americans carry the surname Elliot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,602 residents.
How common is Elliot?
Elliot ranks #4,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,548 people with the surname Elliot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Elliot.
Has Elliot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Elliot went from 8,518 recorded bearers to 7,548. That is a decrease of 970 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,160 to #4,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Elliot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Elliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Elliot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.7% (5,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Elliot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.7%), Black (14.8%), Hispanic (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Elliot (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Elliot mean?
Derived from a diminutive form of the medieval personal name Elias, ultimately from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, meaning "Yahweh is God." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Elliot (2.53 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Elliot?
Want to know how common the surname Elliot is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.