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Definition of ellison

ellison

/ˈɛl.ɪ.sən/
El · li · son
Plural:Ellisons
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ellison Lexical Profile

• noun

1

An English and Scottish patronymic surname meaning 'son of Ellis', notably borne by the American novelist Ralph Ellison and the speculative fiction writer Harlan Ellison.

Example

"The literature course examined how Ralph Ellison explored themes of identity and social invisibility in mid-twentieth-century America."

2

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

Example

"They decided to name their daughter Ellison in honor of her maternal great-grandmother's maiden name."

• Nearby Words

ellipsis
elliptical
elliptically
ellison
ellsworth
elm
elmer

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from a Middle English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Ellis', with Ellis being the medieval vernacular form of the biblical name Elijah.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ellison. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ellison
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