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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tellis

Tellis

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Tellis

Pronounced TEL-is /ˈtɛlɪs/Medium

Meaning: Tellis is an opaque name with two plausible routes. It may be a clipped form of the Greek Aristotelis (Aristotle), where the ending -telis, 'goal' or 'purpose', survives on its own as it does in Greek-American families. It also appears as a Southern American surname pressed into use as a first name. With no single settled origin, its meaning is best given cautiously rather than fixed.Low

In 30 seconds: Tellis is a rare boy's name, likely a short form of the Greek Aristotelis or an American surname, said TEL-is.
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Origin LowGreek, American
MeaningTellis is an opaque name with two plausible routes. It may be a clipped form of the Greek Aristotelis (Aristotle), where the ending -telis, 'goal' or 'purpose', survives on its own as it does in Greek-American families. It also appears as a Southern American surname pressed into use as a first name. With no single settled origin, its meaning is best given cautiously rather than fixed.
U.S. rank (2018)#13867 ↗ Rising
2018 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1975
Total births (all-time)≈ 295

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197519192018

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

Tellis has no single clear source. One reading traces it to the Greek Aristotelis, shortened by immigrant families to its final syllables; another treats it as an American surname used as a given name, a common Southern habit.

However it arose, Tellis stayed very rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its scattered high points and never widespread. A Tellis born mid-century would be a grandfather today, and the name keeps an unusual, faintly Greek ring that resists easy explanation.

Did you know? If Tellis is the tail of Aristotelis, it carries the Greek telos, 'goal' or 'end', the same root behind the word teleology.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Tellis — Possible short form of Aristotelis or surname-name

Variations

TelisTellusTel

Nicknames

Tel

Famous Bearers

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If you like Tellis…

Dennis— a like two-syllable boy's name ending in -is
Otis— another vintage surname-name for boys
Ellis— a similar -is name used for boys
Travis— a comparable American boy's name of the era

Explore names like Tellis

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tellis mean?

Its origin is uncertain; it is most likely a short form of the Greek Aristotelis or an American surname used as a first name.

How do you pronounce Tellis?

It is said TEL-is, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Tellis a boy or girl name?

Tellis is used as a boy's name.

Is Tellis a popular name?

No, Tellis has always been very rare in the United States, never rising beyond scattered use.

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