Ellis

Origin: English surname — From a surname, from Elias (Elijah)

Meaning: “benevolent, kind”
Origin: Welsh — From Elisedd, from elus

Girl's name · #682 in the US (2025) · 2020s wave

26% girls · 74% boys — About 74% of babies named Ellis in recent years have been boys. Ellis →

Popularity over time

Ellis is near its high-water mark: it reached #597 in 2021 and still ranked #682 in 2025. About 7,300 girls have carried it since 1883.

Across the states

See where Ellis is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 36 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Ellis ranks in other countries and regions.

#183 in Belgium (2025) · #232 in Scotland (2025) · #577 in Netherlands (2025) · #771 in Ireland (2025) · #1,522 in Sweden (2025) · #1,832 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,971 in Ecuador (2025) · #2,022 in Switzerland (2025) · #1,414 in Canada (2024).

Famous Ellises

Ellis Rowan — Australian artist, botanical illustrator and botanical collector (1848–1922)
Ellis Kaut — German author of children's books (1920–2015)
Ellis Avery — American writer (1972–2019)
Ellis Jeffreys — British actress
Ellis Reynolds Shipp — American physician

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 189,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Albert Ellis — American psychologist (1913–2007)
Bret Easton Ellis — American novelist (born 1964)
Havelock Ellis — British physician, writer, and social reformer (1859–1939)

In stories & tradition

Ellis Grey^es — Grey's Anatomy (TV series)
Ellis — Battle Arena Toshinden (video game)

What Ellises become

Among 359 notable people named Ellis:

Sports figures appear 1.36× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ellis O'Reilly, Irish artistic gymnast.

Similar names: Ellison · Berkley · Elia · Karsyn · Ellery · Lennox

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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