Given name
Ellyn
“the shining light”
Ellyn is a variant of Ellen. In English use, Ellen carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Ellyn is a variant of Ellen. In English use, Ellen carries the interpretation “the shining light.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1898. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ellyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,836
- 0 boys · 3,836 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 102 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #12,278 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −47%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 12,278 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 47.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 102 in 1991. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,358 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ellyn
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ellyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Erin
“woman from Ireland” · “a man from Ireland”
6% boys · 94% girls
Jaclyn
“the supplanter”
>99% girls
Kaylyn
“a beautiful girl from the meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Alyson
“the son of a noble” · “noble”
>99% girls
Elyse
“my God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Jacklyn
“the supplanter”
>99% girls
Erika
“ever the ruler”
>99% girls
Ilana
“tree”
>99% girls