Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Ellis - which gender?

185 replies

Maize · 20/03/2010 19:09

I love the name Ellis for a boy.

My mum, who is a primary school teacher, says that it is a girls name and a boy called Ellis will be teased.

I know that Ellie is very popular for girls but is Ellis?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
PavlovtheCat · 22/03/2010 07:44

Ellis is a boys name!

EvilTwins · 21/03/2010 23:09

Edith Pargeter (Ellis Peters) chose Ellis because it was her brother's name. So def boy.

EssieAmma · 21/03/2010 22:41

It's a Welsh name, and it's masculine. (Authentic Welsh spelling is Elis, with the surname form of it being made to look more English in Tudor times with the 2 l's. Sorry about the nerdiness but this is what I do...) It's not at all feminine if you speak Welsh - it's got a good solid masculine feel to it IYKWIM.

Mind you, other Welsh names have been switched, eg Meredith for a girl but don't get me started on that. Or Dylan for a girl . Shocking! So masculine!

IvanaPavlov · 21/03/2010 21:19

My DS2 is called Ellis. Here in Wales, it is mostly used as a boy's name. Saying that, I teach a girl in my class called Ellis and there was a woman on Lorraine's show called Ellis the other day.

PanicMode · 21/03/2010 21:14

My DD came home with an invitation to a party at Ellis' house - I immediately assumed it was a boy, but she's a girl.

CheekyGirl · 21/03/2010 20:50

My dd's best friend (girl) is called Ellis. Before that, I'd only ever heard it as a boy's name.

EightiesChick · 21/03/2010 20:30

Ah, have just been reminded of Ellis as Emily Bronte's pen name, reading above - but as Clary says, they deliberaely chose ambiguous names and I'm sure I read somewhere that they aimed for ambiguous but male-leaning sounding names if that makes sense.

Loobyfly · 21/03/2010 20:29

My daughter's best friend is a girl called Ellis

EightiesChick · 21/03/2010 20:27

Boy. Had never heard of any female Ellises till I read this thread.

Ninjacat · 21/03/2010 20:25

My nephew is Ellis. He is named after William Webb Ellis.

Clary · 21/03/2010 19:48

I don't know anyone with this as a first name (think of it as a surname really).

If it was a first name I would imagine it was a boy, like Bailey, Riley, Harrison etc.

The Brontes deliberately chose ambiguous names to hide their sex - Currer, Ellis and Acton - so that alone might put me off (my name is used for either sex too).

Agree Elias is nice.

at poster who knows someone with an Ella and an Ellis! Like calling yr DC Luke and Lucy!

jumbly · 21/03/2010 19:44

One of my best friends has a 3 yo DS called Ellis and it suits him really well.
Didn't Emily Bronte take Ellis Bell as her (male) pseudonym when publishing Wuthering Heights etc? So historically - as now - I'd say male rather than female...

laughalot · 21/03/2010 19:23

I would say boy i know a girl called finlay and i though that was a boys name.

mumoftoomany · 21/03/2010 19:15

I know a girl called Ellis - she sometimes gets called Alice by people who mishear her name.

bigbluebump · 21/03/2010 19:11

Girl

Amapoleon · 21/03/2010 19:05

I would say a boys name although I think it might be used as a girls name in the U.S

MrsJohnDeere · 21/03/2010 19:04

The only Ellis I know is female (an adult).

superbean · 21/03/2010 19:03

It's a boy's name (welsh, I think, or at least all the ones I know are). Never heard of it being used as a girlie name.

Wolfcub · 21/03/2010 19:03

boy

fairybubbles · 21/03/2010 19:01

I think of it as being a boys name.

I like Ellise for a girl. I think thats a nice name, it sounds feminine.

MadameOvary · 21/03/2010 18:59

I chose Ellis for DD as I liked the ambiguity. There is another girl called Ellis too, who is the same age - always see her when I take DD for her jags.

pranma · 21/03/2010 18:10

The writer Ellis Peters is a woman but I think its a great name for a boy

NoodleSquidOodle · 21/03/2010 18:04

I would think it was the child's surname.

But that is increasingly popular - lots of Harrisons, Baileys, etc round here.

bebejones · 21/03/2010 17:56

I would alawys assume Ellis was a boy if I heard the name! I think it is lovely as a boys name. Not so sure for a girl, think it is a bit masculine.

2old4thislark · 21/03/2010 17:49

I know a girl called Ellis but thinking it workd better for a boy.

Swipe left for the next trending thread