# Ellis (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/ellis/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys and girls |
| Origin | Welsh |
| Meaning | “benevolent”, “kind” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛ.lɪs/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | Ellice |
| US babies named this | 57,731 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 50,403 / 7,328 (13% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 21,466, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

* As an English surname, from the Middle English personal name Elis, an Old French form of Elias. Compare Elijah, Lias, Ely. Also sometimes from the Elice, a pet form of Elizabeth. * As a Welsh surname, shortened from the personal name Elisse, Elisedd, from the archaic elus (“benevolent, kind”).

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 186 | 1,276 |
| 2012 | 216 | 1,140 |
| 2013 | 227 | 1,087 |
| 2014 | 238 | 1,076 |
| 2015 | 282 | 963 |
| 2016 | 337 | 844 |
| 2017 | 380 | 743 |
| 2018 | 352 | 775 |
| 2019 | 398 | 717 |
| 2020 | 472 | 618 |
| 2021 | 501 | 597 |
| 2022 | 422 | 699 |
| 2023 | 375 | 752 |
| 2024 | 404 | 697 |
| 2025 | 415 | 682 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 313 | 726 |
| 2012 | 403 | 611 |
| 2013 | 501 | 531 |
| 2014 | 680 | 443 |
| 2015 | 740 | 422 |
| 2016 | 999 | 347 |
| 2017 | 1,109 | 311 |
| 2018 | 1,063 | 318 |
| 2019 | 976 | 343 |
| 2020 | 1,010 | 326 |
| 2021 | 1,038 | 320 |
| 2022 | 1,094 | 307 |
| 2023 | 1,230 | 275 |
| 2024 | 1,250 | 273 |
| 2025 | 1,417 | 243 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 19 | 1,545 |
| 2012 | 25 | 1,297 |
| 2013 | 26 | 1,291 |
| 2014 | 27 | 1,234 |
| 2015 | 25 | 1,324 |
| 2016 | 34 | 1,031 |
| 2017 | 31 | 1,105 |
| 2018 | 40 | 920 |
| 2019 | 28 | 1,189 |
| 2020 | 29 | 1,127 |
| 2021 | 34 | 1,007 |
| 2022 | 34 | 1,006 |
| 2023 | 26 | 1,255 |
| 2024 | 24 | 1,353 |
| 2025 | 16 | 1,809 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 636 | 103 |
| 2012 | 627 | 100 |
| 2013 | 619 | 103 |
| 2014 | 641 | 94 |
| 2015 | 721 | 90 |
| 2016 | 783 | 89 |
| 2017 | 765 | 89 |
| 2018 | 726 | 87 |
| 2019 | 780 | 76 |
| 2020 | 642 | 89 |
| 2021 | 670 | 88 |
| 2022 | 616 | 90 |
| 2023 | 561 | 96 |
| 2024 | 571 | 95 |
| 2025 | 582 | 92 |

## People named Ellis

- Michael Ellis DeBakey, American cardiac surgeon (1908–2008)
- Ellis Marsalis Jr., American jazz pianist and educator (1934–2020)
- Ellis Rowan, Australian artist, botanical illustrator and botanical collector (1848-1922)
- Hilda Ellis Davidson, British academic (1914-2006)
- Ellis Simms, English association football player (born 2001)
- Ellis R. Dungan, American, film director (1909-2001)
- Ellis Yarnal Berry, American politician (1902-1999)
- Ellis Arnall, American politician, Governor of Georgia (1907–1992)
- Ellis Kaut, German author of children's books (1920-2015)
- Ellis Larkins, American recording artist; jazz pianist (1923-2002)
- Ellis Parker Butler, American writer (1869-1937)
- Ellis Avery, American writer (1972-2019)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.