Ellie
Ellie is a girls' name of English origin meaning “bright, shining light.” It ranked #24 in the United States in 2025. A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen, or Elizabeth.
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how do you pronounce Ellie?
EL-ee
where does the name Ellie come from?
A pet form rather than a name in its own right, serving Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth, Eloise and Elena more or less interchangeably. The bright shining gloss reaches it through Helen, from the Greek helenē, meaning torch or corposant.
It has grown from a nickname into a full given name and is currently one of the most popular girls' names in the United States and United Kingdom.
how popular is this name?
Ellie has appeared in the US top 1,000 in 85 years since 1880, and fell outside it for 61. It peaked at #21 in 2024, and ranked #24 in 2025.
See the milestone years
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #24 |
| 2024 | #21 |
| 2023 | #27 |
| 2022 | #33 |
| 2021 | #30 |
| 2020 | #29 |
| 2019 | #35 |
| 2018 | #36 |
| 2017 | #44 |
| 2016 | #43 |
| 2010 | #104 |
| 2000 | #360 |
| 1930 | #993 |
| 1920 | #791 |
| 1910 | #584 |
| 1900 | #417 |
| 1890 | #400 |
| 1880 | #403 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset (through 2025). Years absent from the table are years Ellie fell outside the top 1,000.
the history of Ellie
Ellie is one of a group of diminutives that became independent legal names in the late twentieth century, a shift that would have puzzled earlier generations who regarded such forms as strictly domestic. It ranked in the British top ten through the 2000s and remains widely used across the English-speaking world.
who are famous people named Ellie?
- Ellie Goulding
- Ellie Kemper
- Ellie (fictional, Up and The Last of Us)
what are the nicknames and variants of Ellie?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
what names are similar to Ellie?
what names go well with Ellie?
Sibling names that share Ellie's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
quick answers about Ellie
What does the name Ellie mean?
Ellie means “bright, shining light”.
What is the origin of the name Ellie?
Ellie comes from the English naming tradition. Related forms include Elly, Elli and Ellie-Mae.
How popular is the name Ellie?
Ellie ranked #24 in the US in 2025, according to Social Security data. Its best year was 2024, at #21, and it has spent 85 years in the top 1,000 since 1880.
Is Ellie a boy or girl name?
Ellie is primarily a girls' name.
How do you pronounce Ellie?
Ellie is pronounced EL-ee, with 2 syllables.
Last updated · Curated by HushName editorial
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