Ellie Girl

Popularity: #24 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EL-ee /ˈɛli/

Origin: English; Greek

Meaning: English: bright shining one; Greek: torch

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ellie has its roots in the Hebrew name Eliana, which means "God has answered me." This name was adapted into Greek as Helene, which carries the meaning of "torch" or "light." The transition into Latin occurred as Helena, a name borne by several early saints and the mother of Emperor Constantine, who played a significant role in the establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the 4th century. The name eventually made its way into Old French as Hélène before being adopted into English, where it became popularized in various forms, including Ellie, as a diminutive or affectionate variant.

Throughout history, the name Ellie has been associated with notable figures, including Saint Helena, who is venerated in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions. Her legacy, particularly her reputed discovery of the True Cross in the 4th century, has contributed to the name's enduring significance in Christian contexts.

The name also appears in various literary works, enhancing its cultural resonance. For instance, it has been used in children's literature and popular fiction, where characters named Ellie often embody qualities of kindness and resilience.

In addition to its religious and literary associations, the name Ellie has been embraced in various cultures, often symbolizing light and hope. The diminutive form has been used affectionately, reflecting a sense of warmth and familiarity.

This connection to light and positivity has helped the name maintain its appeal across generations, making it a cherished choice in many families. Overall, the name Ellie encapsulates a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution and cultural significance, rooted in ancient traditions and historical narratives.

Famous people named Ellie

In this section, you will find notable people named Ellie. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Ellie who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ellie who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Ellie Goulding is a singer and songwriter best known for Lights, Burn, and Love Me Like You Do.

Ellie Kemper is an actress and comedian best known for The Office, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Bridesmaids.

Ellie Bamber is an actress best known for Nocturnal Animals, The Falling, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

Ellie Sattler is a fictional character best known as a paleontologist in the Jurassic Park franchise.

Fictional characters named Ellie

The following list of fictional characters named Ellie is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ellie is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. She is a young survivor in a post-apocalyptic world who plays a crucial role in the story's emotional depth and character development.

Ellie is a fictional character from the animated film Up. She is the adventurous and spirited wife of Carl Fredricksen, whose dreams inspire him throughout the film.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ellie, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ellie. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ellie was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Ellie has ranked as high as #68 nationally, which occurred in 2024, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Ohio, Florida, and New York.

In the past 5 years the name Ellie has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ellie is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ellie was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ellie.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 6,176 0 6,176
2024 6,322 5 6,317
2023 5,977 5 5,972
2022 5,795 8 5,787
2021 5,872 5 5,867
2020 5,615 9 5,606
2019 5,439 6 5,433
2018 5,233 10 5,223
2017 5,027 7 5,020
2016 5,080 6 5,074
2015 4,879 6 4,873
2014 4,499 12 4,487
2013 3,766 0 3,766
2012 3,395 7 3,388
2011 3,064 0 3,064
2010 2,917 5 2,912
2009 2,234 0 2,234
2008 2,001 5 1,996
2007 2,010 0 2,010
2006 2,003 7 1,996
2005 1,890 0 1,890
2004 1,825 8 1,817
2003 1,736 8 1,728
2002 1,627 8 1,619
2001 906 0 906
2000 829 0 829
1999 708 0 708
1998 603 0 603
1997 432 0 432
1996 374 0 374
1995 359 0 359
1994 252 0 252
1993 255 0 255
1992 234 0 234
1991 169 0 169
1990 178 5 173
1989 128 0 128
1988 96 5 91
1987 87 0 87
1986 58 0 58
1985 48 0 48
1984 62 5 57
1983 76 5 71
1982 71 0 71
1981 81 0 81
1980 75 0 75
1979 81 0 81
1978 57 0 57
1977 60 0 60
1976 69 0 69
1975 76 6 70
1974 54 0 54
1973 61 6 55
1972 47 0 47
1971 30 0 30
1970 50 6 44
1969 53 0 53
1968 44 0 44
1967 47 6 41
1966 46 7 39
1965 68 8 60
1964 63 0 63
1963 83 7 76
1962 73 7 66
1961 72 12 60
1960 74 0 74
1959 67 0 67
1958 74 15 59
1957 53 0 53
1956 64 7 57
1955 69 7 62
1954 62 11 51
1953 70 11 59
1952 57 9 48
1951 53 10 43
1950 53 10 43
1949 45 8 37
1948 57 13 44
1947 52 10 42
1946 64 19 45
1945 53 11 42
1944 49 18 31
1943 56 20 36
1942 50 15 35
1941 56 11 45
1940 52 14 38
1939 50 12 38
1938 55 16 39
1937 66 18 48
1936 57 11 46
1935 59 15 44
1934 64 17 47
1933 61 15 46
1932 54 19 35
1931 53 10 43
1930 81 26 55
1929 70 16 54
1928 69 13 56
1927 93 27 66
1926 85 14 71
1925 113 22 91
1924 113 26 87
1923 108 26 82
1922 121 28 93
1921 102 18 84
1920 107 24 83
1919 116 27 89
1918 148 25 123
1917 105 21 84
1916 108 25 83
1915 118 28 90
1914 93 23 70
1913 94 13 81
1912 77 13 64
1911 54 7 47
1910 61 11 50
1909 52 14 38
1908 67 11 56
1907 65 9 56
1906 62 11 51
1905 61 7 54
1904 54 0 54
1903 54 6 48
1902 62 11 51
1901 60 0 60
1900 76 11 65
1899 53 5 48
1898 62 9 53
1897 50 6 44
1896 61 9 52
1895 44 7 37
1894 53 0 53
1893 55 8 47
1892 48 7 41
1891 50 12 38
1890 40 0 40
1889 34 0 34
1888 48 7 41
1887 44 5 39
1886 43 9 34
1885 31 6 25
1884 34 6 28
1883 31 7 24
1882 37 0 37
1881 27 0 27
1880 17 0 17

Top States for Ellie (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 709
11%
TX 663
11%
FL 372
6%
OH 264
4%
NY 252
4%
PA 228
4%
NC 227
4%
GA 211
3%
TN 182
3%
MI 172
3%
IL 166
3%
IN 158
3%
MO 150
2%
AZ 145
2%
KY 141
2%
WA 141
2%
NJ 136
2%
VA 135
2%
AL 119
2%
UT 118
2%
MN 112
2%
CO 111
2%
OK 107
2%
LA 105
2%
MA 102
2%
WI 101
2%
IA 94
1%
MD 86
1%
SC 78
1%
AR 78
1%
OR 65
1%
CT 55
1%
KS 53
1%
MS 48
1%
NE 46
1%
NV 44
1%
WV 44
1%
ID 43
1%
SD 32
1%
ND 31
0%
NH 29
0%
NM 29
0%
MT 23
0%
ME 22
0%
HI 17
0%
AK 16
0%
WY 14
0%
RI 10
0%
DE 8
0%
VT 8
0%
DC 6
0%