Fun Facts About the Name Ellee
- More than 1 thousand babies named Ellee: U.S. records list 1,449 babies given the name Ellee from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ellee Mean?
Ellee is a modern English spelling of Ellie, a familiar form (diminutive) of women's names beginning with El-, chiefly Ellen, Eleanor, Elizabeth, and Helen. Because it is a shortening rather than a name with a root of its own, its meaning depends on the full name behind it.
Ellen and Helen go back to Greek helene, usually explained as "torch" or "light." Some scholars have connected that word to selene, "moon," but the link is not certain. Elizabeth comes from Hebrew Elisheva, commonly understood as "God is my oath." Eleanor has no agreed etymology; it may come from a Germanic compound or from a Latin or Greek source, and the meaning "light" is sometimes attached to it by association with Helen rather than from its own root.
Ellee Name History & Origins
Ellie grew out of the English habit of turning longer names into affectionate short forms with the endings -y and -ie, a pattern established in the Middle Ages and kept in everyday speech ever since. Names such as Ellen, Eleanor, Elizabeth, and Helen supplied the El- that the pet form preserves, which is why the same short name can stand behind several different full names.
Ellie has been used both as a family nickname and as an independent given name in English-speaking countries. Ellee is one of several respellings of that sound; the -ee ending keeps the pronunciation but gives the familiar name a more distinctive written form, alongside Ellie and Elly. The spelling Elly, for example, appears in the character name Elly May Clampett of the television series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962 - 1971), while Ellie is the form used for Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan's novel Contact (1985) - literary and screen uses, not evidence of the name's origin.
How Popular is the Name Ellee?
Ellee has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2013. Its best rank was #2,194 in 2013.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,266 | 48 | 0.0030% |
| 2024 | #3,177 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2023 | #3,105 | 53 | 0.0033% |
| 2022 | #3,180 | 51 | 0.0031% |
| 2021 | #3,169 | 51 | 0.0031% |
| 2020 | #2,757 | 60 | 0.0037% |
| 2019 | #3,014 | 54 | 0.0032% |
| 2018 | #2,972 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 2017 | #2,581 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2016 | #2,624 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 2015 | #3,189 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 2014 | #2,751 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 2013 | #2,194 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 2012 | #2,242 | 84 | 0.0048% |
| 2011 | #2,703 | 65 | 0.0037% |
| 2010 | #2,348 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 2009 | #3,427 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2008 | #3,089 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 2007 | #3,222 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2006 | #3,579 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2005 | #3,380 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2004 | #3,192 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2003 | #4,133 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #3,673 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2001 | #5,883 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #5,543 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1999 | #10,644 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #5,876 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #14,422 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #9,852 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #12,237 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #12,242 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #10,543 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #12,972 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ellee Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Ellee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ellee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.