Unisex name · since 1880
Ellis
Ellis has 50,403 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #510 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #243 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 50,403
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Ellis is the #243 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 50,403 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ellis has been recorded 50,403 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #243 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #510 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #243 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 50,403 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ellis ranks #510 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #243 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 50,403 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #510 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #243 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 50,403
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Ellis's 50,403 recorded births place it above 98.87% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
50 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Ellis compares
50,403 Top 4% higher than 96% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ellis's all-time total is 137x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ellis | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 50,403 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,417 | 34 | 22,252 |
Ellis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ellis's full recorded timeline at 1953, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 58 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 1,417 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ellis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 1,417
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ellis popularity over time - girls
7,328 total births recorded since 1883 (Ellis as girls' name)
Ellis by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (7,098 births, 14% of the file).
2010s was Ellis's strongest decade.
7,098 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Ellis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 728
1880s
728 births
- 1890s 886
1890s
886 births
- 1900s 1,100
1900s
1,100 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,433 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,125 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,482 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,617 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,970 births
- 1960s 2,596
1960s
2,596 births
- 1970s 1,664
1970s
1,664 births
- 1980s 1,514
1980s
1,514 births
- 1990s 1,796
1990s
1,796 births
- 2000s 2,355
2000s
2,355 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,098 births
- 2020s
2020s
7,039 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 7,098 births (14% of all-time use).
How Ellis compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ellis's total volume
Ellis by state
Where Ellis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,222 | 6.4% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 2,641 | 5.2% |
| #3 | California | | 2,553 | 5.1% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 2,370 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 2,193 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 2,117 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 2,017 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,954 | 3.9% |
3,222 of 50,403 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Ellis appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ellis? ▼
Where does Ellis sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ellis most popular? ▼
Where is Ellis most popular? ▼
Is Ellis a unisex name? ▼
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What to do with Ellis's data
- Ellis's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (7,098 total births) through the 2020s (7,039) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Elliss (3,222 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ellis
Nearby Names Like Ellis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ellis
Compare Ellis side by side: Ellis vs Elliott Ellis vs Elliot Ellis vs Ellsworth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ellis
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ellis: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ellis draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.