Ellis
/ˈɛl.ɪs/
Ellis originated as a medieval English surname and given name, developing as a vernacular form of the biblical name Elias, the Greek rendering of Hebrew Eliyahu, meaning “my God is Yahweh.” In Wales, the name acquired a parallel identity through the
Welsh personal name Elis or Elisedd, derived from the root elus, meaning “kind, benevolent,” which became hereditary among several noble Welsh families.
The Hebrew prophet Elijah, active in the 9th century BCE and chronicled in the books of Kings, gave the name its enduring devotional weight.
What the name Ellis means
Medieval veneration of the prophet spread the Latin form Elias across Christendom, and English-speaking populations gradually softened it to Ellis by the 13th century.
The Welsh prince Elisedd ap Gwylog, commemorated on the 9th-century Pillar of Eliseg in Powys, remains the earliest recorded bearer of the Welsh branch.
Literary use includes the pseudonym Ellis Bell, adopted by Emily Brontë for the 1847 publication of Wuthering Heights, and the American novelist Bret Easton Ellis, whose Less Than Zero (1985) and American Psycho (1991) marked a generation of
postmodern fiction.
The name is also inseparable from Ellis Island, the immigration station that processed over 12 million arrivals between 1892 and 1954, named for the merchant Samuel Ellis who owned the land in the 1770s.
In U.S. SSA records, Ellis ranked within the top 100 boys’ names from 1880 through 1910, faded mid-century, then returned to the top 1000 in 2005.
Its unisex trajectory accelerated after 2014, with rising use for girls in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The name remains popular in Wales and among families seeking a soft, surname-style classic.
Contemporary bearers include jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. and historian Joseph Ellis.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Ellis
Ellis - similar names
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity