Unisex name · Hebrew
Ellis
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: my God is YahwehEllis is a gender-neutral name that comes from Hebrew and means "my God is Yahweh". It is used in English and Welsh.
- Meaning
- My God is Yahweh
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #682 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ellis
As a gender-neutral name, Ellis comes from Hebrew and means "my God is Yahweh". It is used in English and Welsh.
Ellis is also a surname: the 137th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 182,308 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ellis on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ellis on 4 lists.
“From Elias; gentle and old-fashioned”
From Redneck names for boys, southern gentleman names for boys
“My God is Yahweh; Hebrew via an English surname from Elias”
From Gender neutral names, gender-neutral surname names
“From Elis, a medieval English form of Elijah; English. A surname name with grandpa charm”
From Old man names, grandpa names coming back for babies
“From Elis, a medieval form of Elijah”
From Pretty last names, pretty last names
How popular is Ellis?
In 2025, 415 girls and 1,417 boys in the US were named Ellis.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #682
- 415 babies, 258 per million girls
- Best rank
- #597 in 2021
- 501 babies that year
- Babies since 1883
- At least 7,328
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 15 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 16 per million |
| 1900s | 15 per million |
| 1910s | 16 per million |
| 1920s | 15 per million |
| 1930s | 12 per million |
| 1940s | 9 per million |
| 1950s | 6 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 2 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 16 per million |
| 2000s | 41 per million |
| 2010s | 158 per million |
| 2020s | 266 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #844 | #743 | #775 | #717 | #618 | #597 | #699 | #752 | #697 | #682 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #243
- 1,417 babies, 830 per million boys
- Best rank
- #155 in 1899
- Most babies: 1,417 in 2025
- Babies since 1880
- At least 50,403
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 665 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 777 per million |
| 1900s | 810 per million |
| 1910s | 664 per million |
| 1920s | 556 per million |
| 1930s | 424 per million |
| 1940s | 310 per million |
| 1950s | 196 per million |
| 1960s | 135 per million |
| 1970s | 101 per million |
| 1980s | 82 per million |
| 1990s | 92 per million |
| 2000s | 118 per million |
| 2010s | 377 per million |
| 2020s | 679 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #347 | #311 | #318 | #343 | #326 | #320 | #307 | #275 | #273 | #243 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ellis
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EliaMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- ÉlieMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- ElijahMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- EliyahuMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- ElliotMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- ElliottMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, unisex)
- IliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- IlyaMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like Ellis
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- EilísGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElliePet form of Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth and other El- names (Old French, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EliAscended, uplifted (Hebrew, boy)
- EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
- ElsieGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EilishGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElainA fawn (Welsh, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
- JoelYahweh is God (Hebrew, boy)
- HezekiahYahweh strengthens (Hebrew, boy)
- JoshuaYahweh is salvation (Hebrew, boy)
- JosiahYahweh supports (Hebrew, boy)
- MicahWho is like Yahweh? (Hebrew, boy)
- AbijahMy father is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- AzariahYahweh has helped (Hebrew, boy)
- GioeleYahweh is God (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaiahYahweh is salvation (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for Ellis
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AndersonSon of Andrew (English, boy)
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BradleyBroad clearing (Old English, boy)
- ClementineMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- ForestWoodland (English, boy)
- GrantGreat, large (Old French, boy)
- LydiaWoman from Lydia (Greek, girl)
- SaoirseFreedom, liberty (Irish Gaelic, girl)
More names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
Ellis: common questions
What does the name Ellis mean?
Ellis comes from Hebrew and means "my God is Yahweh".
Is Ellis a boy or girl name?
Ellis is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 415 girls and 1,417 boys in the US were named Ellis, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Ellis come from?
Ellis comes from Hebrew and means "my God is Yahweh". Today it is used in English and Welsh.
How popular is the name Ellis?
Ellis ranked #682 in the US in 2025, with 415 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ellis?
Forms of Ellis with the same meaning and origin include Elia (Italian), Elias (English), Élie (French), Elijah (English) and Eliyahu (Hebrew).
What middle names go with Ellis?
Middle names that flow well with Ellis include Anderson, Bartholomew, Bradley, Clementine and Forest. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.