Ellen
Ellen was the 1062nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 230 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 58th; the most babies were born in 1951 (5,945). Over the last ten years it has moved down 361 places. More babies were named Ellen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Helen · English, Greek
Say it EL-un /ˈɛlən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,062 girls, down 253 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 230girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19515,945 babies
- Total since 1880
- 276,029babies recorded
What does the name Ellen mean?
Ellen is a medieval English form of Helen, from Greek Helenē; DMNES uses it as the headword for the name and notes that the ultimate root is uncertain, with the first record in Homer's Iliad. Wiktionary adds that Ellen was also used as a variant of Eleanor. The popular idea that Helen means 'light' or 'torch' (from Greek hēlios 'sun') is not supported. Ellen was common in the US through the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Ἑλένη (Helenē) (Ancient Greek, “Helen”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES: ultimate root uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: Helen means 'light' or 'torch'.
Related names: Helen, Eleanor, Elaine, Ella, Nell.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ellen', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ellen', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Ellen
The usual nicknames for Ellen are Nell, Nellie and Ellie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Ellen in the last five years, 2392 were named Ellie, against 267 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nell · also for Eleanor, Penelope, Helen | Traditional | #1,628 | 617 |
| Nellie · also for Eleanor, Helen, Nell | Traditional | #533 | 2,475 |
| Ellie · also for Elisa, Elouise, Eliora | Traditional | #24 | 30,119 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ellens go by each one.
Ellen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 745 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,062 | 230 |
| 2020 | #809 | 336 |
| 2010 | #674 | 430 |
| 2000 | #449 | 632 |
| 1990 | #210 | 1,378 |
| 1980 | #260 | 988 |
| 1970 | #188 | 1,758 |
| 1960 | #94 | 5,136 |
| 1950 | #66 | 5,567 |
| 1940 | #74 | 3,318 |
| 1930 | #100 | 2,522 |
| 1920 | #92 | 3,076 |
| 1910 | #88 | 1,038 |
| 1900 | #82 | 922 |
| 1890 | #70 | 659 |
| 1880 | #61 | 411 |
How popular is Ellen, counting every spelling?
Ellen is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #763 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,062 for Ellen on its own. Together these spellings went to 360 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen | 230 | #1,062 | 1,259 |
| Elin | 53 | #3,077 | 420 |
| Eleen | 35 | #4,098 | 198 |
| Eline | 14 | #7,593 | 97 |
| Elen | 8 | #11,208 | 54 |
| Elyn | — | — | 53 |
| Elene | 13 | #8,001 | 50 |
| Ellyn | 7 | #12,278 | 47 |
| Elynn | — | — | 34 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ellen?
230 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ellen (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ellen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ellen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ellen?
About 147,900 people born in the US named Ellen are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 52 and 75. That makes Ellen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ellen by state
How common Ellen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Kentucky (2.3×), Massachusetts (2.2×), Indiana (1.9×), Wisconsin (1.9×), Utah (1.8×). In 21 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ellen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ellen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ellen · Sibling names for Ellen
Questions about the name Ellen
What does Ellen mean?
Ellen is usually explained as “variant of Helen”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Ellen?
Ellen was the 1062nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 230 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 58th; the most babies were born in 1951 (5,945). Over the last ten years it has moved down 361 places. More babies were named Ellen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Ellen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ellen in the US.
Where is Ellen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ellen was most common in Kentucky (0.35 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Indiana.