How Many People Are Named Ralph Ellison?

There are approximately 23 people named Ralph Ellison living in the United States today. That makes this name combination rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 14,902,363 Americans.

This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Ralph with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Ellison. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and ancestry information.

Estimated People with This Name

23

1 in 14,902,363 Americans

Combination Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Ralph: Popularity Over Time

Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Ralph. The peak year was 1921 with 8,902 births. The average person named Ralph today is 68 years old.

Male
Female
0 2K 4K 5K 7K 9K 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ancestry of the Ellison Surname

Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Ellison, from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

White
65.84%
Black
28.32%
Hispanic
2.40%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.59%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.57%
Two or More Races
2.29%

How we calculated this

The first name "Ralph" has an estimated frequency of 0.0458% among living Americans, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for mortality using CDC 2023 life tables.

The surname "Ellison" appears at a rate of 14.52 per 100,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiplying these frequencies against the U.S. population of ~343 million gives 23 estimated people. This assumes first names and last names are statistically independent. Full methodology.

Other people with the surname Ellison

Ralph Ellison: Questions and Answers

How many people are named Ralph Ellison?

We estimate approximately 23 people named Ralph Ellison are alive in the United States today. The first name Ralph is shared by 156,968 Americans, and the surname Ellison is shared by 48,772.

How rare is the name Ralph Ellison?

This name combination is classified as Rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 14,902,363 Americans. The first name Ralph is common and the surname Ellison is uncommon.

Is Ralph a male or female name?

Ralph is predominantly male, with 99.6% of bearers being male and 0.4% female. It peaked in popularity in 1921 and the average bearer today is 68 years old.

Where does this data come from?

First name data comes from the Social Security Administration (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables. Surname data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. Full methodology.

How Many of Me
howmanyofme.org

There are 23 people with the name

Ralph Ellison

in the United States

How many have your name?

Share this result

Try another name