Meaning not yet researched.
Ellen: US girls given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 230 in 2025. Its best rank was #58 in 1946.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #58 in 1946; #1,062 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Ellen in 2025 was a girl.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#1,062 for US girls in 2025. Its best year was 1946, at #58.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Ellen: US girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 230 girls in 2025. Peak: #58 in 1946 · most girls in one year: 5,945 (1951).
In 2025, 230 US girls were named Ellen, making it the 1,062nd most common girls’ name of the year, down 36 places from #1,026 in 2024. That is 16 fewer than the 246 girls named Ellen in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #58, reached in 1946. The most girls given the name in a single year was 5,945, in 1951. For comparison, it was #701 in 2015 and #66 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Ellen in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 411 babies with the name. In all, 276,029 US babies have been given the name, 99.7% of them girls and 0.3% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1950s, with 55,507 babies named Ellen.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 3,133 US girls were named Ellen; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 450. In 2025 that was about 1 in 6,988 of the girls in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Ellen ranked highest in Kansas in 2025, at #516 for girls there. It was not in the top 100 of any state. Related spellings in the SSA files include Helen (1,027,307 babies since 1880), Lena (146,805 babies since 1880), Elena (108,117 babies since 1880) and Helena (40,412 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Ileen, Eilene and Elene are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Helen, Nell and Nellie.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in Dutch, English, Estonian and Swedish. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Ileen (2,152), Eilene (2,087), Elene (1,274), Ellene (875), Eleen (754), Eulene (593), Elyn (579), Ellin (579), Eilleen (503), Elyon (443), Elen (409), Elyan (383), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US girls. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five girls got the name, so 33 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 6 | #516 | #550 |
| Indiana | 9 | #674 | #517 |
| Washington | 9 | #701 | #395 |
| North Carolina | 13 | #739 | #613 |
| Maryland | 6 | #757 | #934 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | #775 | #1,051 |
| Michigan | 9 | #806 | #847 |
| Ohio | 10 | #904 | #455 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | #918 | #423 |
| Tennessee | 7 | #921 | #446 |
| Arizona | 6 | #946 | #998 |
| Virginia | 6 | #1,081 | #985 |
| Illinois | 7 | #1,150 | #613 |
| California | 22 | #1,159 | #779 |
| Florida | 12 | #1,190 | #1,206 |
| New York | 11 | #1,257 | #719 |
| Texas | 17 | #1,422 | #825 |
| Georgia | 5 | #1,600 | #1,209 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | #1,062 | — | — |
| 2024 | 246 | #1,026 | — | — |
| 2023 | 239 | #1,052 | — | — |
| 2022 | 255 | #1,018 | — | — |
| 2021 | 289 | #921 | — | — |
| 2020 | 336 | #809 | — | — |
| 2019 | 347 | #797 | — | — |
| 2018 | 356 | #765 | — | — |
| 2017 | 385 | #735 | — | — |
| 2016 | 450 | #653 | — | — |
| 2015 | 406 | #701 | — | — |
| 2014 | 435 | #657 | — | — |
| 2013 | 403 | #700 | — | — |
| 2012 | 374 | #743 | — | — |
| 2011 | 401 | #696 | — | — |
| 2010 | 430 | #674 | — | — |
| 2009 | 416 | #699 | — | — |
| 2008 | 459 | #669 | — | — |
| 2007 | 514 | #583 | — | — |
| 2006 | 545 | #544 | — | — |
| 2005 | 517 | #555 | — | — |
| 2004 | 595 | #495 | — | — |
| 2003 | 668 | #449 | — | — |
| 2002 | 590 | #476 | — | — |
| 2001 | 609 | #455 | — | — |
| 2000 | 632 | #449 | — | — |
| 1999 | 675 | #413 | — | — |
| 1998 | 622 | #426 | — | — |
| 1997 | 812 | #345 | — | — |
| 1996 | 1,156 | #244 | — | — |
| 1995 | 1,311 | #214 | — | — |
| 1994 | 1,322 | #217 | — | — |
| 1993 | 1,305 | #216 | 6 | #7,935 |
| 1992 | 1,335 | #217 | — | — |
| 1991 | 1,430 | #209 | — | — |
| 1990 | 1,378 | #210 | 7 | #6,635 |
| 1989 | 1,316 | #202 | 9 | #5,302 |
| 1988 | 1,187 | #219 | 5 | #7,627 |
| 1987 | 1,079 | #240 | 5 | #7,298 |
| 1986 | 969 | #265 | 8 | #5,002 |
| 1985 | 854 | #290 | — | — |
| 1984 | 930 | #263 | 7 | #5,136 |
| 1983 | 953 | #246 | 5 | #6,551 |
| 1982 | 1,007 | #250 | — | — |
| 1981 | 958 | #257 | — | — |
| 1980 | 988 | #260 | — | — |
| 1979 | 943 | #256 | 5 | #6,341 |
| 1978 | 1,012 | #241 | — | — |
| 1977 | 1,018 | #244 | — | — |
| 1976 | 941 | #251 | 9 | #3,807 |
| 1975 | 1,021 | #238 | — | — |
| 1974 | 1,088 | #234 | 6 | #4,807 |
| 1973 | 1,073 | #241 | — | — |
| 1972 | 1,176 | #235 | — | — |
| 1971 | 1,392 | #218 | — | — |
| 1970 | 1,758 | #188 | — | — |
| 1969 | 1,895 | #169 | — | — |
| 1968 | 2,102 | #156 | 7 | #3,457 |
| 1967 | 2,524 | #138 | 6 | #3,673 |
| 1966 | 2,806 | #130 | 6 | #3,643 |
| 1965 | 3,251 | #117 | 10 | #2,668 |
| 1964 | 3,532 | #119 | 9 | #2,916 |
| 1963 | 3,943 | #112 | 17 | #1,986 |
| 1962 | 4,113 | #109 | 15 | #2,136 |
| 1961 | 4,844 | #97 | 11 | #2,589 |
| 1960 | 5,136 | #94 | 13 | #2,352 |
| 1959 | 5,396 | #91 | 11 | #2,574 |
| 1958 | 5,156 | #93 | 12 | #2,404 |
| 1957 | 5,589 | #85 | 10 | #2,699 |
| 1956 | 5,432 | #84 | 13 | #2,306 |
| 1955 | 5,471 | #81 | 9 | #2,829 |
| 1954 | 5,457 | #77 | 14 | #2,144 |
| 1953 | 5,537 | #76 | 14 | #2,124 |
| 1952 | 5,842 | #70 | 10 | #2,572 |
| 1951 | 5,945 | #68 | 11 | #2,416 |
| 1950 | 5,567 | #66 | 11 | #2,355 |
| 1949 | 5,504 | #64 | 8 | #2,857 |
| 1948 | 5,289 | #67 | 10 | #2,496 |
| 1947 | 5,856 | #61 | 20 | #1,708 |
| 1946 | 5,237 | #58 | 14 | #1,974 |
| 1945 | 4,189 | #61 | 9 | #2,448 |
| 1944 | 3,998 | #63 | 16 | #1,762 |
| 1943 | 4,152 | #67 | 15 | #1,938 |
| 1942 | 4,197 | #64 | 20 | #1,599 |
| 1941 | 3,664 | #67 | 22 | #1,462 |
| 1940 | 3,318 | #74 | 12 | #2,111 |
| 1939 | 3,005 | #80 | 14 | #1,903 |
| 1938 | 2,805 | #89 | 12 | #2,110 |
| 1937 | 2,499 | #102 | 18 | #1,646 |
| 1936 | 2,398 | #99 | 14 | #1,905 |
| 1935 | 2,434 | #95 | 11 | #2,289 |
| 1934 | 2,455 | #95 | 12 | #2,165 |
| 1933 | 2,201 | #104 | 11 | #2,261 |
| 1932 | 2,370 | #104 | 11 | #2,365 |
| 1931 | 2,450 | #99 | 13 | #2,135 |
| 1930 | 2,522 | #100 | 12 | #2,338 |
| 1929 | 2,567 | #97 | 17 | #1,877 |
| 1928 | 2,682 | #98 | 8 | #3,166 |
| 1927 | 2,867 | #93 | 10 | #2,762 |
| 1926 | 2,768 | #100 | 10 | #2,780 |
| 1925 | 2,794 | #101 | 14 | #2,228 |
| 1924 | 2,949 | #99 | 7 | #3,612 |
| 1923 | 2,671 | #103 | 9 | #3,023 |
| 1922 | 2,953 | #95 | 9 | #3,090 |
| 1921 | 3,064 | #95 | 9 | #3,049 |
| 1920 | 3,076 | #92 | 7 | #3,590 |
| 1919 | 2,929 | #92 | 6 | #3,857 |
| 1918 | 3,030 | #92 | 6 | #3,856 |
| 1917 | 2,855 | #90 | 15 | #2,015 |
| 1916 | 2,838 | #87 | — | — |
| 1915 | 2,581 | #88 | 6 | #3,524 |
| 1914 | 2,039 | #86 | — | — |
| 1913 | 1,579 | #88 | — | — |
| 1912 | 1,449 | #86 | 9 | #1,782 |
| 1911 | 1,162 | #84 | 9 | #1,215 |
| 1910 | 1,038 | #88 | — | — |
| 1909 | 960 | #86 | — | — |
| 1908 | 848 | #92 | — | — |
| 1907 | 855 | #89 | — | — |
| 1906 | 898 | #80 | — | — |
| 1905 | 845 | #81 | — | — |
| 1904 | 774 | #84 | — | — |
| 1903 | 773 | #85 | — | — |
| 1902 | 753 | #84 | 5 | #1,187 |
| 1901 | 711 | #82 | — | — |
| 1900 | 922 | #82 | — | — |
| 1899 | 708 | #81 | — | — |
| 1898 | 786 | #81 | — | — |
| 1897 | 733 | #77 | 5 | #1,109 |
| 1896 | 811 | #73 | 6 | #1,020 |
| 1895 | 746 | #75 | 5 | #1,129 |
| 1894 | 759 | #72 | 6 | #990 |
| 1893 | 798 | #69 | — | — |
| 1892 | 760 | #69 | — | — |
| 1891 | 675 | #69 | — | — |
| 1890 | 659 | #70 | — | — |
| 1889 | 653 | #68 | — | — |
| 1888 | 691 | #68 | — | — |
| 1887 | 579 | #66 | — | — |
| 1886 | 551 | #70 | — | — |
| 1885 | 555 | #64 | 7 | #785 |
| 1884 | 597 | #59 | 5 | #1,013 |
| 1883 | 500 | #62 | — | — |
| 1882 | 452 | #64 | — | — |
| 1881 | 413 | #65 | — | — |
| 1880 | 411 | #61 | — | — |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).