Ellen is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ellen means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ellen across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ellen has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ellen is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, linked to light”. a medieval English form of Helen.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 276,029 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 8,763 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,270 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,398 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,391 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 124 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ellen per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1951 (5,956/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (929/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (282/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2002 (112/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1996 (68/yr).
Ellen has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1951, when it ranked #126 nationally (given to 5,956 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Eliana · Elaine · Elena · Allen · Eileen · Elian · Allan · Elliana
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