Ellis

English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
"benevolent"

Ellis Origin and Meaning

The name Ellis is a girl's name of Welsh origin meaning "benevolent".

Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.-- Ellis has always been in the Top 1000 for boys -- and seems to be headed straight up. One of the most popular gender-neutral names, currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl.

Ellis Bell was the name chosen by Emily Bronte as her male pseudonym, and Ellis Grey was the mother of Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy.

# 757 in the US

Ellis Rank in US Top 1000

# 593 on Nameberry

Ellis Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Ellis Popularity

Famous People Named Ellis

  • Ellis Wylie
    contender in the first season of "The Glee Project"
  • Elis Regina
    legendary Brazilian singer
  • George Francis Rayner Ellis
    one of the world's leading theorists in cosmology
  • Ellis Ward
    British television presenter

Ellis in Pop Culture

  • Dr. Ellis Grey
    late mother of Dr. Meredith Grey on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy"
  • Ellis Shepherd
    daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy"
  • Ellis Island
    a small island in New York Harbor that famously welcomed immigrants to the United States