Elliott
A widespread surname with several possible roots, often linked to a medieval pet form of Elias/Elijah, though in Scotland it is also associated with the Border family and the place-name Eliot near Dundee.
The #210 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,274 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname has a mixed and somewhat uncertain history. One common explanation connects it with medieval forms of Elias or Elijah, via French and English pet forms such as Eliot or Elliot, which would make it a patronymic surname meaning essentially “son of Elias.” Another longstanding explanation, especially in Scotland, links it to the Border surname Eliot and to a place-name near Dundee, so in some lines it may be locational rather than biblical in origin.
History
The name became very common in England and especially along the Anglo-Scottish Borders, where later tradition associated many bearers with a strong Border clan. Nineteenth-century surname writers noted that the name had spread widely and had absorbed related forms such as Eliot, Eliott, and Elliot. Because different branches may have different beginnings, the surname should be treated as having more than one historical source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower cited a Border volunteer regiment in the French revolutionary war said to be made up entirely of Elliotts, a vivid sign of how concentrated the name could be in some districts.
From the historical record
“and parish in cos. Salop and Flint. ELLIOTT. A name of doubtful orioin. A William Allot came into England with the Conqueror, and the name seems to be connected with Alis and Ellis. But Hals, speaking of the Eliots (Lord St. Germain's family), says: " These gentlemen I take to be of Scots original and so…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom