Ellis

I really don’t like it. I don’t mean to offend anyone but it sounds more like a girl’s name to me. I can’t think of any other nicknames for it besides Ell or Ellie, which are unfortunately very feminine and wouldn’t sound great on a man. Growing up, I also knew of a nasty boy called Ellis that bullied me a bit and was a known troublemaker in the local community and in school.

I am surprised at how many comments mention this as better suited to a girl. Ellis is definitely a masculine name to me (and statistically is far more common for boys than girls - top 100 in the UK and not in the top 1000 for girls). My son is called Ellis and I love it.

Absolutely adore this name, one of my favourite male names. It's so pleasant sounding, it has a nice meaning, I've met three people called Ellis and they have all been absolute sweethearts.

My son is named Ellis and to me it’s not a unisex name at all. It’s just a softer masculine name, like Andreas, Gabriel, Elias or Julian. Occasionally when he introduces himself it gets misheard as Alex or Atlas. So far he likes his name and it hasn’t been common in any of the places we’ve lived. I like that it means benevolent and he lives up to that meaning.

I love the name, definitely sounds more male to me than female; I prefer Elise or Elsie for a girl. Especially love the soft 'Ell' sound.

I knew a girl called Ellis, I like the name for both genders.

I know a person with the name Ellis. She goes by Ellie. I think that this serves as a better last name.

I've only met girls with this name.

I absolutely love this name, as a first name and a middle name. My cousin's name is Jane Ellis, Ellis being her middle name. When paired together, the name Jane Ellis means 'angel or child of god'.

A terrific name for a boy. Love it.

This is a nice name.

I don't think it works on boys, because this name just sounds like Alice when someone isn't able to pronounce it correctly.

Ellis, for a GIRL? Hmm, seems way too masculine to me. Elise is so much better for girls, why would someone choose Ellis over Elise?

I would love to name my daughter Ellis if I have one. I think it’s such a strong unique name.

My brother's name is Ellis, Buddy for short. Kinda ugly but his middle name is Ray soo how can I judge...

I don't really like it that much on a boy, but I really hate it on a girl because it sounds too masculine. Use Elise or Ellie instead.

My Dad's name is Ellis. My brother's name is Ellis Jr., his son is Ellis III. My 3rd son's name is Kevin Ellis. My first grandson's name is Bryce Ellis. And my 2nd grandson's is James Ellis. I hope they will keep it going. My Dad passed away in June this year :(

Ellis can be unisex, but I like it better as a boy’s name. To me, it sounds more strong than weak, and a boy should be proud to have it. In my opinion, it’s a little masculine for a girl rather than too feminine for a boy, but I like it as a girl’s name too.

I’ve only met boy Ellis, but I only love it for a girl, not a boy!

You guys keep elevating your comments in the topic to loving Ellis.2 for a girl, and then you go unisex way. Overall it’s a great name and I do love it for a boy, but for a girl I love Ellisana, kinda forced, huh?

Ellis is my little brother's name. I think it's great, but I hate the fact that this is now being used on girls. Elise is much better on girls.

Actually, I can picture this equally well on a girl or boy.

I strongly recommend Ellis for a girl. Most people have Ellis as a girl name. Ellis just sounds weird for a boy. Even though I have a friend named Joey that is a girl. Anyways, my name is actually Ellis and I am a girl, so there!

Nice, except what nicknames?
Ellie, Elsie, Lissy, Elle, the only ones I could find are feminine. A male could just be called Ellis, those are ultra-feminine. Ellis is a good name for a boy, Elise or Alice that sound the same are better for girls. Ellis is good by itself. It sounds like Elise or Alice, as an above user pointed out. That (or Emily Bronte's pen name) may have motivated feminine usage. It is a wonderful masculine name, overall.

I know a boy called Ellis, and a while ago he entered and won a competition, but didn't have to specify his gender when signing up. A person announced the winners, and thought Ellis was a girl when announcing his name. He looked surprised to see a boy walk up!

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Other than that little anecdote, I think it's quite a nice name for a boy.

I love the name Ellis! It's my sisters name:)

Handyman and his wife named their boy this. My first reaction was "That's a girl's name!" But it's either. It's cute. And Little Ellis looks like he will rock it!

My name is Ellis and I am female I would just like to notify that this name is not just masculine it is a unisex name. But what I like about my name is the fact that it is considered unique for a first name however common for a second name.

My son's name is Ellis and it fits him perfectly. He's the only Ellis at his school and he likes that his name is slightly unique. His biggest complaint is that some people assume it's "Alice" when they first hear it, but a quick correction settles it. We call him Elly for short.

Oddly enough, I am rather fond of the name "Ellis." The association with Ellis Island is not necessarily a bad one... the large majority of my family came through there for a better life, leaving Italy behind. A previous poster mentioned racial stereotypes and hardships of Ellis Island... You could think of that, or perhaps of the happiness, joy, and hope of the men and women who traveled to the "streets paved in gold"? It was a start of a new life, but the beginning of a journey. The descendants, family, friends, strangers, even myself... we are living proof that you can overcome anything. That is what I associate "Ellis" with.

As the other user mentioned, this name primarily reminds me of Ellis Island. But for me, that's more a negative association. It reminds me of discrimination, and callousness, and racial quotas. =( So when I first saw it, I was like, "what a terrible name!"

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But then I read the other comments here, and yes, it is a very nice-sounding name. I'd like it a lot, if it weren't for Ellis Island. As it is, though, it's still a good-ish name for a kid, either boy or girl.

I have met a girl called Ellis but I prefer it on a boy. It sounds like a really clever sensible boy to me.

I love this name for a girl or boy.

I love this name. It's a lovely sounding name, and I believe I've only met one person with this name, my boyfriend. I like names that aren't as common as others, which is probably why I like this one.

This is like a masculine form of Alice or Elise. Same with Ellison and Alison.

Love it for a girl!

Yeah, I think Ellis should stick with the boys.

I LOVE this name! Oh and by the way, it’s NOT a girl’s name!

I actually do like this name, even if it does sound a little, er, pompous. In fact, this is what my like of it stems from. It is always good to see a strong proper name.

I know a girl with this name, but I don't think it's a good name. Not even for a boy.

I quite like this name for a girl. Not sure why. Maybe because I love Ella? But then, I love Elijah for a boy. Oh well. Ellis is a nice name anyway.

I LOVE it on a girl (even though I know that basically it's a boy's name).

Great name for a boy, not a girl's name for me.

Ellis is a great name for a boy, I like the meaning "kind".

I picture an "Ellis" as an energetic little boy who gets himself into things!