He’s a surname worn by a jazz great. How would he work in the first spot for a child born today?
Thanks to Chantelle for suggesting Ellington as Baby Name of the Day.
Ellington seems certain to appeal to parents searching for that elusive compromise – a name familiar, yet uncommon. Distinctive, but not weird.
A handful of boys born in 2009 were called Ellington; however, the number of female Ellingtons was about the same. Perhaps that’s why he’s never appeared in the US Top 1000. Parents of boys worry that he’s the next Addison or Emerson, while parents of girls have so many options for getting to the nickname Ellie that they’re too busy choosing between Elliot and Elinor to land on Ellington.
Despite the feminine possibilities, this is one surname with an image both masculine and creative, thanks to legendary band leader Duke Ellington. Born Edward Ellington in 1899, he went on to become a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He was more than a popular musician – he appeared on the cover of Time in 1956, and he’s often cited for his work as a composer.
All of this overshadows Ellington’s roots as a place name. At least four places in the UK, and more than a half dozen in the US, answer to Ellington. The -ton clearly refers to town. The first part is less certain. It could relate to personal names derives from ealda – old – or to elf – Ella’s town.
It’s the only backstory I can find, but it feels lacking. Maybe it is the addition of the -ng that has me thrown. Most of those English Ellingtons have been on the map for centuries, appearing in earlier times as Ellintone or even more complicated variants. I suspect the –ng is part of a more complicated story related to the changing nature of English pronunciation, but that’s probably not part of the average parent’s name search.
If not for the jazz legend, Ellington might sound almost pretentious, too close to the fictional Carrington family name from Dynasty.
The challenge for a boy Ellington is the search for an acceptable short form – or the insistence on avoiding one altogether. With plenty of longer given names in the US Top 100 – Alexander, Sebastian, and Nathaniel, for instance – you might argue that Ellington can be just Ellington. And maybe so. One option that might satisfy is Eli – but that’s pretty far from the original name.
Still, Jackson, Tyler, Landon, and Hunter are all quite popular. Ellington combines a surname sensibility with the longer style of more classic choices. If your last name is short, and you’re willing to go nickname-free, Ellington has a cool, jazzy vibe that stands out.
I named my little girl Ellington Rose in March 2010. I was surprised at how quickly it gained popularity. We either call her “Ellington, Ellie, or Elliebean (per her instruction).” My mom and I were talking and she suggested it & that was the end.
I am so happy to find this page tonight. I was just curious how common Ellington might be as a baby name, because we named our little girl Ellington Gray when she was born in July 2011. We chose the name because my husband and I love Duke Ellington. On our 1st date we listened to his music in the car and it was also our wedding music.
I love Ellington, preferably for a girl!
Any of the -ton names could also use Tony as a NN. I like Ellington. I think it’s formal but not stuffy.
That is a great idea!
I absolutely love this name, but it comes out of my love for the composer. Along with Thelonious and Parker, it’s on my “in my dreams” list- I don’t think my husband would go in on any of them despite the significant meaning for me. So great though, I’d be so stoked to meet a little Ellington!
Just to add another source to the origins of Ellington, Elling was a pretty common name among Scandinavian immigrants in the midwest. According to Nordic names it’s related to Erling (meaning descendant of Jarl – chieftain.)
Ellington is a little too long for my taste and I generally don’t like surname as first-names, but wanted to throw Elling out as a possible nickname.
I love the idea of Elling! Actually, I think it might make an intriguing name.
I have a friend named Elliott and people just call him El/L for short. I guess it’s a little feminine (e.g. Elle), but it works for him. I imagine Ellington’s will probably end up being called El too.
Thank you for posting this! I have been waiting patiently for it to appear and look forward to reading comments. I am considering using this name but want some feedback…. is it too weird/long or would you name your baby Ellington?
I love Ellington, but have one problem. One of my favourite names is Wellington… Can’t have both I’m afraid!.
Oh well, perhaps when I find a dude to be dad he can eliminate one of them 🙂
And I like Duke as a nickname! (I’m reading Stephen King’s ‘Under the Dome’ where there’s a Howard Perkins nn Duke Perkins by most (except for his wife who calls him Howie…))
That’s interesting – Queenie is a nickname for Victoria, so why not Duke for Ellington?
I would love to see L as a nn for Ellington! And what about Duke? For a little baby, I’d likely use a generic nn, such as Buddy, Scooter, Boo, Little Dude…