Ellie
Girl name · #25 in 2025 · Very well-known
How old is the name Ellie? In official American birth records, Ellie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 6,176 baby girls were named Ellie, placing it at #25 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #48, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 291 girls born in 2025 was named Ellie.
Babies named Ellie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Ellie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 6,317 babies and a rank of #21. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ellie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ellie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ellie is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Ellie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ellie is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Ellie is most common in VT (15 per 1,000), AK (13 per 1,000), ND (12 per 1,000), SD (10 per 1,000), WV (9.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Ellie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Ellie
Ellie belongs to the Eleanor family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Eleanor family went to about 19,784 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #1, versus #25 for Ellie alone.
Names like Ellie
Statistically, parents drawn to Ellie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Millie, Elena, Eloise, Lucy, and Sadie.
MillieElenaEloiseLucySadieJosiePenelopeNora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ellie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,176 | #24 |
| 2024 | 6,317 | #21 |
| 2023 | 5,972 | #27 |
| 2022 | 5,787 | #33 |
| 2021 | 5,867 | #30 |
| 2020 | 5,606 | #29 |
| 2019 | 5,433 | #35 |
| 2018 | 5,223 | #36 |
| 2017 | 5,020 | #44 |
| 2016 | 5,074 | #43 |
| 2015 | 4,873 | #48 |
| 2014 | 4,487 | #55 |
| 2013 | 3,766 | #74 |
| 2012 | 3,388 | #85 |
| 2011 | 3,064 | #97 |
| 2010 | 2,912 | #104 |
| 2009 | 2,234 | #145 |
| 2008 | 1,996 | #167 |
| 2007 | 2,010 | #175 |
| 2006 | 1,996 | #175 |
| 2005 | 1,890 | #184 |
| 2004 | 1,817 | #189 |
| 2003 | 1,728 | #187 |
| 2002 | 1,619 | #200 |
| 2001 | 906 | #339 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Ellie?
In official American birth records, the name Ellie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Ellie a popular girl name?
Ellie ranked #25 among girls in 2025 with 6,176 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #48.
When was the name Ellie most popular?
Ellie peaked in 2024, when 6,317 American girls received the name (ranked #21 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ellie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 291 newborn American girls was named Ellie. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.