Ellen Name Meaning, Origin & Gender

Ellen Name at a Glance

Name	Ellen
Meaning	A variant of the Greek Helen, meaning shining light, or most beautiful woman. Famous bearer: British actress Dame Ellen Terry.
Origin	English
Gender	Girl

What Does the Name Ellen Mean?

According to the information recorded in our baby name database, Ellen means “A variant of the Greek Helen, meaning shining light, or most beautiful woman. Famous bearer: British actress Dame Ellen Terry”. Name meanings can vary between languages, regions and naming traditions, so families may also wish to confirm a meaning within the cultural or linguistic context that matters to them.

Ellen Name Origin

Our database records Ellen under English origin. Browse more English baby names to compare other names in the same origin collection.

Is Ellen a Boy or Girl Name?

In our database, Ellen is listed as a girl name. Usage can differ across countries, languages and families.

Choosing the Name Ellen

When considering Ellen for a baby, you may want to compare its recorded meaning and origin with family traditions, pronunciation, spelling, initials, middle names and how the full name sounds with the family name.