Ellen

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly shining light or torch
Origin: Greek — Medieval English form of Helen

Nicknames: Ella, Nellie, Nell

Girl's name · #1062 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Few names move less than Ellen — on the books since 1880, #1062 in 2025, and dependable in between. Roughly 275,000 girls have carried the name since. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Ellen is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 28 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Ellen is especially popular in Finland (Swedish-sp.).

#10 in Finland (Swedish-sp.) (2025) · #12 in Finland (Finnish-sp.) (2025) · #18 in Denmark (2025) · #40 in Sweden (2025) · #166 in Ireland (2025) · #208 in Norway (2025) · #231 in N. Ireland (2025) · #539 in Scotland (2025) · #551 in Switzerland (2025) · #623 in Poland (2025) · #688 in Austria (2025) · #901 in Italy (2024) and 11 more.

Famous Ellens

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 (born 1938)
Ellen DeGeneres — American comedian, television host, actress, and writer (born 1958)
Ellen Burstyn — American actress (born 1932)
Ellen G. White — American author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1827–1915)
Ellen Pompeo — American actress (born 1969)
Ellen Barkin — American actress (born 1954)
Ellen Corby — American actress (1911–1999)
Ellen Ochoa — American astronaut and engineer (born 1958)
Ellen White — English footballer (born 1988)
Ellen Terry — English actress (1847–1928)

In stories & tradition

Ellen Ripley — Fictional character in the Alien franchise
Ellen Tigh — Fictional character in Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Ellen Harvelle — Fictional character in the TV series Supernatural

What Ellens become

Among 2,343 notable people named Ellen:

Artists & writers appear 1.5× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, television host, actress, and writer (born 1958).

Spellings & nicknames

About 6,100 girls a year are given Ella as their full name, 500 Nellie, and 120 Nell.

Similar names: Helen · Kathryn · Elle · Barbara · Joan · Karen

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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