Ellen
The medieval English form of Helen, from Greek Helene.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Ellen appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 77 different years between 1880 and 1961. Its biggest year was 1951, when 5,945 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 68 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1946, at No. 58. All told, 276,029 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Eileen (190,020), Elin (5,204), Elan (4,331), Ellyn (3,836), Elon (3,633), Eilene (2,087) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Helen, Ella, Nellie
Explore Ellen interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,402 | No. 59 |
| 1890s | 7,435 | No. 69 |
| 1900s | 8,339 | No. 80 |
| 1910s | 21,500 | No. 84 |
| 1920s | 28,391 | No. 92 |
| 1930s | 25,139 | No. 80 |
| 1940s | 45,404 | No. 58 |
| 1950s | 55,392 | No. 66 |
| 1960s | 34,146 | No. 94 |
| 1970s | 11,422 | No. 188 |
| 1980s | 10,241 | No. 202 |
| 1990s | 11,346 | No. 209 |
| 2000s | 5,545 | No. 449 |
| 2010s | 3,987 | No. 651 |
| 2020s | 1,595 | No. 808 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.