Meaning: Son of Elias; an English patronymic surname from the biblical name Elias (Elijah: my God is Yahweh)High
In 30 seconds: An English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Elias,' rooted in the Hebrew Elijah. It has crossed to girls' charts in the 2010s alongside other -son surname names like Addison, Emerson, and Ellison.
Ellison is an English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Ellis' or 'son of Elias,' both forms of the Hebrew Elijah (my God is Yahweh). It follows the Old English pattern of -son patronymics (Johnson: son of John; Ellison: son of Elias).
Ellison appeared on U.S. girls' charts from the 2010s, sitting alongside Addison, Emerson, and Anderson as a -son surname name. It ranked #1067 for girls in 2024.
Did you know? Ralph Ellison (1913–1994), author of Invisible Man (1952), is the most famous American literary bearer of this name — his novel's title became a defining phrase for African American experience in the 20th century.
