Contents [hide]

Ellis History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Ellis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Ellis

What does the name Ellis mean?

The Ellis family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name for the son of Ellis. which "has for the most part been formed from the scripture name Elias, which does not occur as an Anglo-Saxon name, but which was in use in France as early as the days of Charlemagne, as a baptismal designation, and after wards gave to several families." 1

Early Origins of the Ellis family

The surname Ellis was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the name was "William Alis, mentioned in the Domesday Book as the progenitor of the Ellises of Kiddal, county York, and Stoneacre, county Kent, from whom sprang Sir Archibald Ellys, a crusader who is said to have originated the cross and crescents so common to the Ellis coat-armour." 1

Continuing the search through early records, we found Willelmus filius Helis listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Somerset in 1212, William Elyas in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1200, William Elis in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1202 and Andrew Elice in the Subsidy Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1309. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had numerous entries including: Henry filius Elis in Cambridgeshire; Agnes uxor Elys in Cambridgeshire; Simon filius Elys in Bedfordshire; Nicholas filius Elye in Cambridgeshire and Roger filius Elye in Shropshire. 3

Early History of the Ellis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellis research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1460, 1474, 1550, 1561, 1581, 1598, 1609, 1615, 1616, 1625, 1634, 1640, 1650, 1651, 1653, 1654, 1660, 1665, 1673, 1676, 1680, 1688, 1690, 1693, 1700, 1701, 1703, 1716, 1721, 1731, 1734, 1742, 1757, 1761, 1774, 1806, 1820, 1826, 1832, 1861, 1890 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Ellis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellis Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Ellis include Ellis, Elliss, Ellys, Elis, Eliss, Elliason and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellis family

Thomas Ellis, Mayor of Norwich from 1460 to 1474
Sir Francis Ellis, an administrator of the English East India Company, and President of Bengal in 1693
John Ellis (1598-1665), a Welsh Anglican clergyman and religious writer, born at Gwylan, Maentwrog, Merionethshire
Humphrey Ellis, D.D. (d. 1676), English Catholic divine
Sir William Ellis (1609-1680), an English lawyer, judge and politician, Solicitor-General (1654), Member of Parliament for Boston (1640-1653)
Thomas Ellis (1625-1673), a Welsh clergyman and antiquarian
Sir John Ellys or Ellis (1634?-1716), an English academic, Master of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge from 1703
Welbore Ellis (1651?-1734), an English bishop of Kildare, Bishop of Meath and Irish privy councillor
Rowland Ellis (1650-1731), a Welsh Quaker leader in early America

Ellis World Ranking

the United States, the name Ellis is the 114^th most popular surname with an estimated 191,499 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Ellis is ranked the 233^rd most popular surname with an estimated 17,335 people with that name. 5 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Ellis is the 577^th popular surname with an estimated 80 people with that name. 6 Australia ranks Ellis as 88^th with 27,320 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Ellis as 138^th with 3,494 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Ellis as 73^rd with 60,998 people. 9 South Africa ranks Ellis as 747^th with 9,217 people. 10

Migration of the Ellis family to Ireland

Some of the Ellis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 172 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellis migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Ellis were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Ellis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

David Ellis, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1608 aboard the ship "Mary & Margaret" 12
John Ellis, who landed in America in 1620 12
David Ellis, who landed in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Mary Margaret" 12
Margrett Ellis, who arrived in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Margaret & John" 12
Arthur Ellis, who landed in Massachusetts in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rowland Ellis, who landed in New Jersey in 1711 12
Francis Ellis, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 12
Everard Ellis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 12
Evered Ellis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 12
Margaret Ellis, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hugh Ellis, who arrived in America in 1804 12
Alexander Ellis, aged 36, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 12
Alex Ellis, who arrived in America in 1804 12
Margaret Ellis, who landed in America in 1804 12
Richard Ellis, who arrived in America in 1810 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Michael Ellis, (b. 1872), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th May 1900 en route to Schenectady, New York, USA 13
Morris Ellis, who landed in Mississippi in 1902 12
Michael Ellis, who arrived in Mississippi in 1903 12
Mr. James Ellis, (b. 1882), aged 21, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th May 1903 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 13
Mr. John Ellis, (b. 1876), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th June 1904 en route to Jerome, Arizona, USA 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis migration to Canada +

Ellis Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jacob Ellis, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Thomas Ellis, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Jacob Ellis, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Edward Ellis, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760
Edward Ellis, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1761
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Edward Ellis, who landed in Canada in 1815
Richard, Ellis Jr., who landed in Canada in 1815
Richard, Ellis Sr., who arrived in Canada in 1815
James Ellis, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
John Ellis, aged 50, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Second Fleet

Mr. Joseph Ellis, (d. 1863), Irish settler convicted in Dublin, Ireland in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Queen" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11

Third Fleet

Mr. Walter Ellis, British seaman on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788

Following the Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Ellis Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Isabella Ellis, British Convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. George Ellis, Irish convict who was convicted in Westmeath, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Patrick Ellis, Irish convict who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Miss Mary Ellis, (Conolley), British Convict who was convicted in Hampshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. Thomas Ellis, Welsh convict who was convicted in Montgomery, Wales for life, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ellis migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ellis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Ellis, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1832 18
Mr. Thomas Ellis, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1833 18
W Ellis, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1836
Thomas Ellis, who landed in Akaroa, New Zealand in 1840
Thomas Ellis, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ellis (post 1700) +

Samuel Ellis, American namesake and the last private owner (in the 1770s) of Ellis Island, in New York harbor
Marion Durbin Ellis (1887-1972), born Marion Lee Durbin, American ichthyologist and entomologist
Thomas Selby "T.S." Ellis III (1940-2025), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (2007-2025), he died from complications from COVID-19
Richard Ellis (1938-2024), American marine biologist, author, illustrator and research associate in the American Museum of Natural History's division of paleontology, special adviser to the American Cetacean Society, and a member of the Explorers Club
John Charles Ellis (1948-2022), American Major League Baseball first baseman and catcher who played from 1969 to 1981
Johnny Ellis (1960-2022), American politician, Member of the Alaska Senate from 1992 to 2017, Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1986 through 1992
Alfred James Ellis (1941-2021), known as Pee Wee Ellis, an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger, member of James Brown's band in the 1960s, appearing on many of Brown's recordings and co-writing hits like "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"
Nancy Walker Bush Ellis (1926-2021), American environmentalist and political campaigner, sister of U.S. President George H. W. Bush, she died from COVID-19
Jesse Delano Ellis II (1944-2020), known as J. Delano Ellis, an American leader in African American Pentecostalism
... (Another 245 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ellis family +

Halifax Explosion

Master J. Robert Ellis (1909-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 19
Mr. Robert Ellis (1874-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 20
Mrs. Annie Ellis (1875-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 20
Ronald William George Ellis (d. 1945), British Leading Stoker aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 20
Mr. Albert Ellis (1919-1942), Scottish Leading Seaman from Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, was later captured by Japanese in Sumatra in 1942 21
... (Another 19 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html