Ellen

The female first name Ellen is an English variant of Helen and also a Danish short form of the traditional Greek name Helene. It literally translates to 'the sunlit', 'the radiant', 'the shining', 'the light-giving', 'the gleaming', 'the sun child', 'the beautiful', 'the torch', or even 'the moon'.

What does the name Ellen mean?

The female first name Ellen is an English variant of Helen and also a Danish short form of the traditional Greek name Helene. It literally translates to 'the sunlit', 'the radiant', 'the shining', 'the light-giving', 'the gleaming', 'the sun child', 'the beautiful', 'the torch', or even 'the moon'. Its origin lies in Ancient Greek, derived from the three possible word components helénē (ἑλένη) meaning 'the torch', 'the light', and 'the shine' or hēlios (ἥλιος) meaning 'the sun', 'the sunlight', and 'the sun rays', or also selēnē (σελήνη) meaning 'the moon'. Additionally, Ellen is also used as a Dutch shortened form of the name Eleonore. In this context, the name means 'the other' and 'the foreigner'. Furthermore, a connection to the Old Norse Erlend is sometimes made, which means 'the foreign woman'. The name means in Arabic: God is my light and life. Possibly from German (e.g., in Ellengard) meaning 'nature spirit' (fairy). Other variants include Helena, Elena, Heleni, Helenia, Hellen, Hellena, Helenka, Elen, Ellena, Ellina, Hellina, Heleen, and Heleene. The name became known through Greek mythology, where Helena is the daughter of Zeus and Leda. According to legend, she is considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Helena likely also has an original connection to Helios, the Greek sun god. The legendary Helena was born around 255 in Depanum, later known as Helenopolis, in Bithynia. A well-known bearer of the name is actress Ellen Barkin or host Ellen DeGeneres.

Where does the name Ellen come from?

The etymology of Ellen is a female first name of Ancient Greek origin meaning 'the sunlit' or 'the radiant'. Ancient Greek

How do you pronounce Ellen?

Sound & pronunciation of Ellen: The name Ellen is structured as two syllables and is compact. In German pronunciation, it is usually pronounced as 'El-len' [ˈɛlən], starting with an open E sound that feels friendly. The doubling of the 'l' creates a soft, stable middle. The final 'n' provides a gentle hold. This makes Ellen appear classic and calm - clear, down-to-earth, and timeless.

When is the name day of Ellen?

The name day of Ellen is April 26, May 21, August 18, October 29, and November 15.

Popularity

Ellen is a very popular first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 440th in the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 1930 at 162nd place. In the last ten years, Ellen has been given as a first name about 1,800 times, placing it 333rd in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 320th.

Nicknames & pet names

Alien / El / Elchi / Elend / Eleni / Eli / Ell / Ella / Ellchen / Elle / Elleine / Elleken / Ellenbogen / Ellenchen / Ellenfant / Ellenka / Ellenle / Ellerchen / Ellewie / Elli / Ellie / ElliPirelli / Ellispirelli / Ello / Ellschön / Elmo / Eln / Elometer / Kleinellchen / Lellen / Ällln / Ölln

Similar first names

Famous people

• Ellen Auensen (artist from America)
• Ellen Barkin (actress)
• Ellen Cleghorne (actress from the USA)
• Ellen Coleman (British composer)
• Ellen DeGeneres (entertainer)
• Ellen Fanning (child actress)
• Ellen Feld (American writer)
• Ellen Fiedler (hurdler from the German Democratic Republic)
• Ellen Frank (German actress and dancer)
• Ellen Franz (German actress)
• Ellen Gandy (British swimmer)
• Ellen Kean (British actress)
• Ellen Kessler (dancer)
• Ellen Key (Swedish educator)
• Ellen Kurokawa (Suite PreCure! (Siren Cure Beat)
• Ellen Litman (American writer)
• Ellen Lohr (German motorsport athlete)
• Ellen Louise Shulman Baker (former American NASA astronaut)
• Ellen MacArthur (sailor)
• Ellen Mary McLarty (cricketer from Australia)