Given name & surname · also Irish
Ennis
“from the market town”·“from the island; the only choice”
Ennis is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the market town” (Irish) and “from the island; the only choice”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the market town” (Irish) and “from the island; the only choice”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Irish.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ennis through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,524
- 3,204 boys · 320 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 70 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,157 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,157 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 62 in 1922. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,360 as a first name in 2020; 15,623 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ennis’s family of names
Ennis has a related form in Enis. Ennis has a related form in Enniss. Ennis has a related form in Ennisse.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ennis
- Ennis EsmerTurkish-Canadian actor and comedian (born 1978)
- Ennis HayesArgentinian association football player (1896-1956)
- Murder of Ennis Cosbyson of Bill Cosby (1969–1997)
- Ennis WhatleyAmerican basketball player (born 1962)
Characters named Ennis: Ennis Del Mar (characters from "Brokeback Mountain").
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ennis, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kermit
“one who is free of envy”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls
Oran
“surrounded by light” · “a pale-skinned man”
>99% boys
Henderson
“the son of Henry”
>99% boys
Howell
“a distinguished or eminent man”
>99% boys
Norval
“from the northern valley”
>99% boys
Cyril
“a master or lord”
>99% boys
Malvin
“a leader” · “a friend who offers counsel”
>99% boys