Ellie Girl

Popularity: #21 · 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 #65 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.

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. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 709
12%
TX 663
11%
FL 372
6%
OH 264
4%
NY 252
4%
PA 228
4%
NC 227
4%
GA 211
3%
TN 182
3%
IL 166
3%
IN 158
3%
MO 150
2%
AZ 145
2%
WA 141
2%
KY 141
2%

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.

YearBirths
20246,306
20235,968
20225,784
20215,864
20205,601
20195,430
20185,221
20175,019
20165,072
20154,873
20144,487
20133,764
20123,388
20113,064
20102,912
20092,234
20081,996
20072,010
20061,996
20051,890
20041,817
20031,728
20021,619
2001906
2000829
1999708
1998603
1997432
1996374
1995359
1994252
1993255
1992234
1991169
1990173
1989128
198891
198787
198658
198548
198457
198371
198271
198181
198075
197981
197857
197760
197669
197570
197454
197355
197247
197130
197044
196953
196844
196741
196639
196560
196463
196376
196266
196160
196074
195967
195859
195753
195657
195562
195452
195359
195248
195143
195043
194937
194844
194742
194645
194542
194431
194336
194235
194145
194038
193938
193839
193748
193646
193544
193447
193346
193235
193143
193055
192954
192856
192766
192671
192591
192487
192382
192293
192184
192083
191989
1918123
191784
191683
191590
191470
191381
191264
191147
191050
190938
190856
190756
190651
190554
190454
190348
190251
190160
190065
189948
189853
189744
189652
189537
189453
189347
189241
189138
189040
188934
188841
188739
188634
188525
188428
188324
188237
188127
188017