Name of the Week

 

It feels like a modern firstname-surname, but Ellis has been rocking 
as a personal name for centuries. 

 

Origin:

Ultimately derived from the Biblical name Elijah, a major prophet in the Old Testament. His name in Hebrew was אֱלִיָּהוּ ('Eliyyahu) which translates as "God is Yahweh."  In Greek and Latin translations of the bible, Elijah was rendered as Elias, and several early saints who bore the name were known commonly by this form. Ellis evolved as a Middle English vernacular form of Elias.

Usage:

Elias was a widely used name in the Middle Ages thanks, in part, to the popular use of the prophet Elijah in medieval literature and the three early Christian saints named Elias. Vernacular forms in Britain included Elis, Ellis and Elys. The Old French form, Élie, was also used, with Eliot as a diminutive.  The popular usage of these variant forms is attested by the all the numerous surnames that derived from them: Ellis, Elles, Hellis, Ely, Ealey, Ellison, Eliott, Elliott.  The name maintained its high usage up until the 15th century, after which it became superseded by Elijah: a favourite for the Puritans. Ellis, at this time, was in high usage as a surname, and it is quite likely that when it began picking up in frequency as a first name in the 17th century* it was thanks to its use as a family surname. This would certainly also explain some instances of Ellis as a feminine name from the 17th century onwards. Other examples of Ellis used at this time represent a variant spelling of Alice.  In the 1851 UK census there are 3,518 males and 470 females named Ellis, while in 1901 the gender divide had shifted to 6,574 men and 252 women respectively. Elis and Ellis are very common surnames in Wales that have also long been used as personal names. Some examples may represent the medieval form of Elias, while others are thought to be a form of Elisedd. Early examples from the 13th century show both Elisedd and Elise (the dd having easily been dropped), which eventually became Elis. Elisedd was the name of a King of Powys in the 8th century. The origin of the name is uncertain, but one theory suggests it derives from elus meaning "benevolent, charitable"*. In England and Wales, Ellis ranked in the Top 100 boys names from 1998 to 2009, peaking in 2006 at #77 with 876 births. In 2010 the name had slipped down slightly to the cumulative rank of #102 with 660 births: #64 in Wales, and #104 in England. Elis ranked at #687 with 45 births. For girls, Ellis was at its most popular in the 1990s, peaking in 1998 at #248 with 160 births. Since then the numbers have been rapidly declining to only 23 births (rank #1332) in 2010.  In Scotland the name ranked #135 in 2011 with 42 births, consistant with its #134 rank in 2010.

Famous Bearers:

* Ellis Lloyd was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614. * Sir Ellis Ellis-Griffith, 1st Baronet of Llanidan (1860–1926) was a British barrister and Liberal politician. * Ellis Loring Dresel (b. 1865–1925) was an American lawyer and diplomat. * Ellis Wackett CBE (1901–1984) was a senior commander in the RAAF. * Sir Ellis Waterhouse (1905–1985) was an art historian and director of the National Galleries of Scotland from 1949 to 52. * Ellis Ferreira (b.1970) is a South African former proffesional tennis player. Literature:  * Ellis Bell was the pen name of Emily Bronte.  * Ellis Peters was the pen name of Edith Pargeter.

Variants:

Elias (Biblical Greek), Elijah (Hebrew), Eliot, Elys (Medieval), Élie (French), Elis (Welsh, Swedish), Ilyas (Arabic), Elia (Dutch), Ilya (Russian)

Pronunciation:

EL-iss (UK) [key]

Sibling Names:

Grace     Esme     Poppy     Zoe     Daisy     Mia  Harry     Oliver     Louis     Austin     Owen     Jack

Name Lists:

Medieval Favourites    Terrrifically Tudor

 

If you like Ellis you may also like:   Elliot, Lewis, Evan, Harris, Ewan, Rhys, Ethan, Bowen, Willis, Tallis