Ellington

Ellington is a surname of English origin and a toponym used for towns and places in English-speaking countries. The most famous bearer is Duke Ellington, born Edward Kennedy Ellington, an American composer, pianist, and bandleader whose career with the Duke Ellington Orchestra helped define big band and swing in the 1920s–1940s.

In addition to people, Ellington appears in place names. There is Ellington, Connecticut, a town in Tolland County, United States. The name also exists in other English-speaking regions as a geographic designation tied to historical settlements.

In education and culture, institutions bearing the name honor Duke Ellington, such as the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., a public arts high school established in 1974. The name is often associated with music and artistic achievement due to the influence of Duke Ellington’s career.

Overall, Ellington denotes a surname, a geographic name used for places, and a cultural reference linked to music and education, with its most enduring association being Duke Ellington and his contributions to American jazz and popular music.