Ellis

Did you know?

A few things about Ellis you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Ellis

Ellis Marsalis Jr.

American jazz pianist and educator (1934–2020)

Choose Ellis and your child shares a first name with Ellis Marsalis Jr., an American jazz pianist and educator. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ellis, like who?” Ellis Marsalis Jr.'s Wikipedia article is available in 23 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Ellis Marsalis Jr. on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Allenstone, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,205 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ellis, 1,417 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ellis would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryEllis has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Elliss, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1899, when it reached #154.
• 📈Then vs nowEllis is 7.8× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 9,398 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,205.
• 🚀TrendEllis has climbed 83 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #243. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedEllis is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #126, followed by Arkansas (#134) and Louisiana (#136). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• ⚖️Boy or girlEllis is given to both boys and girls: 77% of the 1,832 babies named Ellis in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningEllis is a Welsh form of Elijah, which means “possibly my God is Yahweh”. Our records link it to English, Greek and Latin roots.

About the name Ellis

Ellis is a gender-neutral name of English, Greek and Latin origin meaning “possibly my God is Yahweh”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-lis”. US birth records list Ellis for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked #154 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #243, with 1,417 babies. Of the 1,832 US babies named Ellis in 2025, 23% were girls and 77% were boys.

Origin:English namesGreek namesLatin names