Ellysa
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "pledged to God".
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the first name Ellysa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ellysa today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ellysa births was 1999 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ellysa. 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.
People living today
180
~ 1 in 1,904,191 Americans
Peak year
1999
16 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2016 SSA rank
#14,870
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Ellysa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ellysa from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 93 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ellysa 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 Ellysa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ellysa
The name Ellysa is a feminine given name with roots tracing back to ancient Greece. It is a variation of the Greek name Elysia, which is derived from the word "Elysion" meaning "paradise" or "blissful realm." The name was associated with the Elysian Fields, a conception of the afterlife in Greek mythology where the virtuous and heroic souls resided in a state of eternal bliss.
In ancient Greek texts, the Elysian Fields were often described as a verdant and idyllic place, characterized by lush meadows, gentle breezes, and perpetual springtime. The name Ellysa, therefore, carried connotations of peace, beauty, and joy, reflecting the idealized realm of the afterlife.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ellysa can be found in the works of the Greek poet Homer, who mentioned the Elysian Fields in his epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, composed around the 8th century BCE. These works played a significant role in shaping the Greek understanding of the afterlife and the concept of the Elysian Fields.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Ellysa or its variations. In the 5th century BCE, Elysia was the name of a Greek priestess who served at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Her legacy is recorded in ancient inscriptions and historical accounts.
During the Renaissance period, Elysia was the name of an Italian painter and sculptor born in 1475 in Florence. She was renowned for her exquisite marble sculptures and frescoes depicting scenes from Greek mythology, including the Elysian Fields.
In the 19th century, Ellysa Whitmore was a British author and poet who published several collections of romantic poetry and novels. She was born in 1820 and her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the pursuit of happiness, reflecting the ideals associated with the Elysian Fields.
Another notable figure was Ellysa Montague, a French explorer and adventurer born in 1867. She was renowned for her daring expeditions to remote regions of the world, including the Amazon rainforest and the Himalayas. Her spirit of adventure and love for natural beauty embodied the essence of the name Ellysa.
In the 20th century, Ellysa Wilkinson was a celebrated American actress and philanthropist born in 1928. She was known for her roles in numerous acclaimed films and her dedication to various charitable causes, embodying the virtues of grace and compassion associated with the Elysian Fields.
People
Ellysa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ellysa 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
Ellysa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ellysa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 180 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ellysa 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 1,904,191 US residents.
Is Ellysa a common name?
We classify Ellysa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 184 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ellysa most popular?
The single biggest year for Ellysa was 1999, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ellysa is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ellysa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ellysa 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.
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.