Gender: Girl
Meaning: Bright, shining one; light
Origin: Short form of Eleanor, Ellen, or Elaine — ultimately from Greek helios (sun) or Germanic alja (other)
Popularity: Ranked #21 in 2024 with 6,306 babies born.
History: Ellie began as a nickname for Eleanor or Ellen but has long since established itself as a full given name in its own right. It carries the warmth and brightness of its longer forms with an added softness and approachability. In the UK it has been a top-10 name for girls since the 2000s. In America it has climbed steadily into the top 20. Ellie from the Pixar film Up — the irrepressible, adventurous spirit at the heart of the movie's most emotional sequence — gave it a beloved pop culture presence that resonated deeply with parents.
Famous people named Ellie: Ellie Goulding (singer), Ellie from The Last of Us, Ellie Sattler (Jurassic Park)
Name length: 5 letters
How common is Ellie? About 1 in 527 babies born in 2024 were named Ellie, or roughly 17.3 per day in the United States.
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