Ellis

Ellis - A very unique female name

Ellis appeared on the charts for the first time in 1916 on position #1689. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ellis and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ellis? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ellis. The baby girl name Ellis was given to 376 baby girls in 2025, ranking #678 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,467 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ellis peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 588.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ellis, 1-5?

Ellis is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ellis is currently topping the baby name charts in Alabama at position #225 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,197.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ellis is where you live.

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Ellis origin and meaning

Surname — Welsh/English, origin disputed

Uncertain — a transferred surname, variously derived from the Welsh name Elisedd or from a medieval form of Elijah; no single derivation is settled

Ellis has a long history as a boy's name and surname, but this profile is its newer life as a girl's name, in the data since 1916 in scattered years and peaking for girls in 2021. Its surname softness suits current taste for both sexes.

Origin uncertain

Ellis is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Ellis, pop culture references for the name Ellis and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ellis

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ellis, sorted by popularity.

Elsie / Elise / Eloise / Eliza / Elisa / Elsa / Elyse / Elissa / Elisha / Elouise /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ellis

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ellis a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ellis?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

EL-is · /ˈɛlɪs/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

For a daughter, Ellis offers a tailored, literary surname sound — gentle but not frilly, and still uncommon for girls.

Worth knowing

• Historically far more used for boys, so many will assume a boy on paper