Ellana
An English feminine name derived from the Hebrew word for "tree".
Name Census estimates that about 577 living Americans carry the first name Ellana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ellana today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ellana births was 2010 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ellana. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ellana with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
577
~ 1 in 594,028 Americans
Peak year
2010
29 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,480
Tracked since 1946
Census
Ellana in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 582 people with the first name Ellana, which placed it at #18,495 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#18,495
National first-name rank
People counted
582
582 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
54.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ellana
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ellana is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.9%) and Black (14.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ellana described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ellana at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.3% · 316
- Hispanic or Latino17.9% · 104
- Black or African American14.4% · 84
- Two or more races6.7% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 10
Popularity
Ellana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ellana from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 234 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ellana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ellana by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ellana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ellanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ellana
The name Ellana is a fascinating blend of various linguistic and cultural influences. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "helene," which means "bright" or "shining." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with beauty, radiance, and illumination in the early Greek civilization.
Over time, the name underwent various transformations and adaptations as it spread across different regions and cultures. In some parts of Europe, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, the name took on a slightly different form, "Elana," which is still used today in certain Spanish-speaking communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellana can be found in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, Ellana was the name of a nymph who was renowned for her exquisite beauty and grace. This mythological figure may have contributed to the name's association with elegance and charm.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ellana. One of the earliest recorded examples is Ellana of Antioch, a 4th-century Christian martyr who was executed for her refusal to renounce her faith during the Roman persecutions. Her unwavering devotion and courage have been celebrated within the Christian tradition.
In the realm of literature, Ellana was the name of a character in the 19th-century novel "The Marble Faun" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This fictional figure played a significant role in the narrative, embodying themes of innocence and purity.
Another famous bearer of the name was Ellana Satin Dillon (1905-1991), a renowned American actress and singer who graced the stage and screen during the early 20th century. Her performances in various Broadway productions and Hollywood films cemented her status as a celebrated entertainer of her time.
In the field of science, Ellana Rae Mutz (1924-2008) made significant contributions as an American biochemist and researcher. Her groundbreaking work on enzyme kinetics and protein structure earned her numerous accolades and recognition within the scientific community.
While the name Ellana may have ancient roots, its enduring appeal and versatility have allowed it to transcend cultural boundaries and remain a popular choice across various regions and generations.
People
Ellana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ellana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ellana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ellana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 577 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ellana going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 594,028 US residents.
Is Ellana a common name?
We classify Ellana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 589 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ellana most popular?
The single biggest year for Ellana was 2010, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ellana is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ellana in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 582 people with the name Ellana, or 0.19 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #18,495 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ellana in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ellana?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Ellana appears almost entirely female. Of the 578 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ellana?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ellana is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.9%) and Black (14.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ellana most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Ellana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.3% (316 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ellana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ellana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ellana in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ellana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ellana in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ellana can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Ellana?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Ellana at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.