Ellis is an English and Welsh surname that grew out of the medieval given name Elis, a form of Elijah, and so means "my God is Yahweh"; in Wales it was also linked to the Welsh name Elisedd, "kind" or "benevolent". Ellis Island, the gateway for millions of immigrants to New York, gives the name a strong American resonance. Ellis rose from number 787 in 2000 and number 422 in 2015 to number 243 among boys' names in 2025, its highest rank in the SSA data since 2000.