Ellsworth is a surname, originating in England prior to or around the 12th Century A.D. in the Cambridgeshire area. The name comes from as "Ellesworth" or possibly Elsworth, from the place-name (and family seat) which in turn was derived from the Old English name "Eli" and "worth", an Old English word for farm or homestead. Many spelling variants are known to exist, including Ellesworth, Elsworth, Ellsworth, Elisworth, Ellisworth, Elsworthy, etc. Ellsworth is by far the most common Americanized / "standard" spelling.
Records show a number of emigrants to the new world in the 17th century such as:
Josiah Ellsworth, settled in New England, possibly the same as is mentioned as purchasing land in Connecticut in 1645,Sir John Ellsworth, arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1629Jeremiah Ellsworth, arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1650Theophilus Ellsworth, arrived in New Amsterdam, 1652.Notable people with the surname include:
Bobby Ellsworth (Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth), vocalist for the thrash metal band OverkillBrad Ellsworth, U.S. Representative from IndianaCharles C. Ellsworth (1824–1899), U.S. Representative from MichiganDick Ellsworth, Major League baseball pitcherColonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, friend of Abraham Lincoln often called the "first conspicuous casualty" of the American Civil WarEdmund Ellsworth, (1819-1893) LDS pioneer, Captain of the First Handcart CompanyJames Ellsworth (wrestler), American wrestlerJeri Ellsworth, computer chip designerLincoln Ellsworth, American polar explorer and benefactor of the American Museum of Natural HistoryJames Ellsworth, Lincoln Ellsworth's father, noted banker who helped finance Roald Amundsen's polar 1825 North Pole expedition, coal mine owner, and benefactor of the city of Hudson, Ohio and the Western Reserve AcademyOliver Ellsworth (1745–1807), 3rd Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme CourtRichard E. Ellsworth (c. 1911 – March 18, 1953), World War II pilot and USAF commander during the early part of the Cold WarRobert Fred Ellsworth (1926–2011), former U.S. Representative from Kansas and U.S. Ambassador to NATORobert H. Ellsworth (1929-2014), American dealer of Asian art.Stukely Ellsworth (1769–1837), New York politicianIt has also become a first name (e.g. Ellsworth Kelly) and a place name in the United States such as Ellsworth Air Force Base, Ellsworth, South Dakota Ellsworth, Maine, Ellsworth, Kansas, etc.
