as a First Name
Originally a variant of Helen, although now no longer associated with that name. Initial H- tended to be added and dropped rather capriciously, leading to many doublets (compare for example Esther and Hester). It is also sometimes used as a short form of Eleanor, to which, however, it is unrelated.
| 231st in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Hundreds of thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 262,397
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- Massachusetts
- has the most people named Ellen per capita
- 1911
- marked the height of its popularity
99.98%
0.02%
55%
55+
55+
32%
30-54
30-54
8%
13-29
13-29
6%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
