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Home › Baby Names Directory › Ellington

Ellington

♀ Girl

Pronounced EL-ing-tən /ˈɛl.ɪŋ.tən/High

Meaning: From an English place name, likely 'Ella's settlement', via the surname carried by Duke EllingtonMedium

In 30 seconds: Jazz aristocracy as a girl's name: Ellington borrows the Duke's surname — an English 'Ella's town' — for daughters with Ella tucked right inside. A name that swings.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFrom an English place name, likely 'Ella's settlement', via the surname carried by Duke Ellington
U.S. rank (2025)#2868 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births59 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,004

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201520012025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ellington is an English place-and-surname name — villages parsed as 'Ella's settlement' or 'settlement of Ella's people' — made luminous by Edward 'Duke' Ellington, jazz's grand composer-bandleader. As a girls' first name it pairs surname-chic with the built-in nickname Ella.

It registers thinly and recently for girls. Rare, musical, and effortlessly Ella-equipped.

Did you know? Duke Ellington composed nearly two thousand pieces and led his band for fifty years — naming a daughter Ellington hands her America's most prolific bandstand pedigree.
Overall data confidence 72%
Dictionary of American Family Names — Ellington — surname origin, debated

Variations

EllingtynElington

Nicknames

EllaElleEllie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ellington…

Ella— the nickname nested inside it
Kensington— a fellow grand -ton place name for girls
Everly— the companion musical-surname pick
Harlow— another jazz-age-flavored girls' name

Explore names like Ellington

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ellington mean?

Ellington comes from an English place name, likely 'Ella's settlement', and the surname of Duke Ellington.

How do you pronounce Ellington?

It's said EL-ing-tən /ˈɛl.ɪŋ.tən/ — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ellington a boy or girl name?

Ellington is used for both sexes; this page covers its use as a girl's name.

How popular is Ellington?

Ellington is a rare name for girls in the U.S.

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