Girl name English origin Christian tradition

Ellen

EL-ən · 5 letters · 2 syllables
What it means
Bright or shining one, variant of Helen
Language
English
Culture
English;Greek
Religion
Christian
Style era
timeless
Themes
classic · timeless
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Popularity over time

2024 rank#1028
2024 births244
Peak year1951
First appeared1880
Total US births275,048
1951 peak18801916195219882024
Source: US Social Security Administration national records, 1880-2024.

Nicknames & variants

Common nicknames
EllieNellieNell
Alternate spellings
ElenEllynEllan
In other languages
Elena (Spanish/Italian)Helena (Latin)Hélène (French)Yelena (Russian)

Sibling name suggestions

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Notable people named Ellen

Ellen DeGeneres (TV host)
Ellen Page/Elliot Page (actor)
Ellen Pompeo (actress)
Ellen Pao (executive)