What Is Ellie Short For?

smiling girl named ellie under a tree

Ellie was one of the names I wanted for my baby girl, but my wife wasn’t as keen. Our issue was that we had to pick a name which sounded pleasant in both English and Russian, and I guess for the Russian ear, Ellie just didn’t work! Nevertheless, I think it’s a lovely name for a baby girl, and so do many other moms and dads as Ellie is a very popular choice these days. In this article let’s take a look at what it’s short for, what middles names go with it and just how popular Ellie is as a first name.

Ellie tends to be short for Eleanor or Ellen. However, it can also be short for some other names such as Isabel/Isabella, Elizabeth, Elspeth, Eloise, Annabel/Annabella and Penelope. However, these days many parents just opt for Ellie as the given name with no longer version at all.

Where does Ellie come from?

Ellie first became a popular name in the UK, but as a nickname of Ellen or Helen, the name has roots in Greek culture. However, if we take Eleanor as the given name, then this can be traced back to the French language. It is widely believed that the name Eleanor was brought over to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine who went on to marry King Henry II.

What does it mean?

Ellie means ‘light’ or ‘bright shining one’ which is a lovely meaning for a baby girl. The most common given names for Ellie, Eleanor and Ellen, also have a similar meaning. Ellen can mean ‘torch’ or ‘light’ and Eleanor means ‘light-hearted or ‘shining light’.

What middle names sound great with Ellie?

Here are some middle names that work with Ellie. I’ve tried my best to ensure they sound good with Eleanor or Ellen, just in case you want either of these as a given name. Personally, I like the sound of one syllable middle names as they seem to flow well if you have Ellie as a first name.

  • Ellie Alexandra
  • Ellie Brooke
  • Ellie Catherine
  • Ellie Christina
  • Ellie Claire
  • Ellie Grace
  • Ellie Isabel
  • Ellie Jane
  • Ellie Morgan
  • Ellie Paige
  • Ellie Rose

How popular is the name Ellie?

chart showing how popular Ellie is as a name
Source: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

Ellie is certainly on trend at the moment. Since 2011, it’s been in the top 100 girls’ names in the USA. In fact, 5835 baby girls were born with this name in 2021 in the USA alone. However, it was also used as a boy’s name. Between 1900 and 1910, it made it into the top 1000 in the USA, but it hasn’t been seen since. As a boy’s name, Ellie can be short for Elliot or Elron.

What famous people are called Ellie?

  • Ellie Goulding (singer) – Female singer/songwriter from the UK with hits such as Love Me Like You Do and How Long Will I Love You.
  • Ellie Simmonds (swimmer) – Former Paralympian swimmer for Great Britain. She competed at the 2008 Paralympic Games aged just 13, winning gold in the 100m and 400m freestyle.
  • Ellie Kemper (actress) – Best known for playing Erin in the US version of The Office.
  • Ellie Black (gymnast) – Canadian gymnast who has competed at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Winter Olympics.

Source: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

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