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Ellery Name Meaning, Origins & History

Ellery

Pronunciation: EL-uh-ree

Meaning From the elder tree island Origin surnames Gender Unisex
GIRLS RANK
#1,208
TREND
121
BOYS RANK
#9,149
TREND
3,657
Peak Years
2014, 2015, 2021
Lowest Years
1964, 1973, 1975
Energy Archetype
Versatile & Freedom-Loving

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Ellery in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Ellery

  • More than 7 thousand babies named Ellery: U.S. records list 7,004 babies given the name Ellery from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 2,260 boys received the name Ellery - about 1 boy for every 2 girls.

What Does the Name Ellery Mean?

Ellery is an English surname that is also used as a given name, and it descends from the medieval English personal name Hilary. That name comes from Latin Hilarius, built on hilaris ("cheerful"), which in turn goes back to Greek hilaros (ἱλαρός), meaning "cheerful, merry, glad." The literal sense is therefore "cheerful." Ellery is one of several spellings that grew out of the surname formed from Hilary, alongside forms such as Hillary and Hillery. It is unrelated to the similar-looking Welsh name Eleri, which has a separate origin.

Ellery Name History & Origins

Hilary entered England after the Norman Conquest, helped by the following of Saint Hilary, a fourth-century bishop of Poitiers. The masculine name was common in medieval England, and like many medieval given names it became a hereditary surname. Ellery is one of the spellings that developed from that surname, and from the seventeenth century onward English and American families sometimes passed the surname back into use as a given name.

In America the name appeared in the Ellery family of Rhode Island: William Ellery (1727 - 1820), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, carried it, and it was used again in later generations, including as a middle name in his grandson, the Unitarian minister William Ellery Channing (1780 - 1842). A separate literary association developed in the twentieth century through Ellery Queen, the pen name of the American cousins Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee and the name of the detective they wrote about.

How Popular is the Name Ellery?

Ellery recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2014. Its best rank was #744 in 1897.

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.

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 Ellery 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.

You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.

✦ Ellery's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ellery's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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