Elton is an English place name and surname from Old English, meaning "Ella's town" or "old town". Reginald Dwight borrowed it from saxophonist Elton Dean to become Elton John, and the name has been linked to the singer ever since. In the United States Elton ranked number 1336 in 2000, rose to number 1569 in 2021 and stands at number 2313 in 2025.