Total births
50,403
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.
- #273
- among boys today
- 50,403
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ellis is the #273 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 #273 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.
- #273 among boys today
- 50,403 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ellis is currently the #273 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 50,403 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #273
- among boys today
- 50,403
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Ellis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#273
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Ellis was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
1,417 babies were named Ellis in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Ellis compares
50,403 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 50,403 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,417 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#273
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Texas share of Ellis's total US births 6.4%
Even split
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? ▼
Ellis has been given to 50,403 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #273 as of the latest data. 1,417 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Ellis most popular? ▼
Ellis was most popular in the 2010s decade with 7,098 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Ellis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ellis are Texas (3,222 births), Georgia (2,641 births), California (2,553 births).
Is Ellis a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ellis is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 50,403 births, and as a girl's name it has 7,328 births.
How long has the name Ellis been used? ▼
Records for Ellis go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ellis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elliott, Elliot, Ellsworth, Ellison, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Elliott Boy
#162 62,551 births
Elliot Boy
#150 58,592 births
Ellsworth Boy
#12356 7,337 births
Ellison Boy
#2060 2,963 births
Ellery Boy
#5249 2,261 births
Compare Ellis side by side: Ellis vs Elliott Ellis vs Elliot Ellis vs Ellsworth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ellis
Cade #272
34,772 births · Peak 2001
Otto #274
39,915 births · Peak 2024
Walter #271
631,172 births · Peak 1918
Phoenix #275
24,571 births · Peak 2020
Emerson #270
33,521 births · Peak 2025
Atticus #276
18,322 births · Peak 2021
Lukas #269
44,053 births · Peak 2019
Colt #277
27,869 births · Peak 2019
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ellis: #273 Unisex Name - 50,403 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ellis. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.