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Ellis Family History

Ellis Surname Meaning

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. English: possibly in some instances from the Middle English female personal name Elice a pet form of Elizabeth . 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. Americanized form of some original Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname (most likely based on Yiddish form of the Biblical personal name Elijah).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Allis, Mellis, Bellis, Bellin, Valis, Elles, Kellis, Tillis, Wells

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Ellis family from?

You can see how Ellis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ellis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ellis families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 425 Ellis families living in New York. This was about 16% of all the recorded Ellis's in USA. New York had the highest population of Ellis families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ellis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Ellis ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ellis. 16% of Ellis men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Ellis women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ellis were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Ellis | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ellis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Ellis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ellis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ellis

Passenger Lists

There are 145,000 immigration records available for the last name Ellis. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 226,000 military records available for the last name Ellis. For the veterans among your Ellis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Ellis family history

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What is the average Ellis lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ellis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Ellis in 1940 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ellis

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