| Ellie | Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | Willow tree; grace |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EL-ee | WIL-oh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1890 |
| Peak year | 2024 (6,317) | 2021 (5,195) |
| In 2025 | 6,176 | 4,763 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ellie | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 35,725 | 28,868 |
| 2010s | 43,240 | 27,072 |
| 2000s | 17,025 | 6,024 |
| 1990s | 3,559 | 1,217 |
| 1980s | 767 | 344 |
| 1970s | 567 | 502 |
| 1960s | 576 | 139 |
| 1950s | 542 | 138 |
| 1940s | 395 | 175 |
| 1930s | 441 | 208 |
| 1920s | 767 | 252 |
| 1910s | 781 | 111 |
| 1900s | 533 | 40 |
| 1890s | 453 | 5 |
| 1880s | 306 | 0 |
Ellie is an English short form of Eleanor, Ellen and Elizabeth, associated with “light.”
Willow is an English nature name from the graceful, flexible tree, which has long symbolised resilience and gentleness.
Ellie is more popular than Willow today: about 6,176 US babies were given the name Ellie in 2025, compared with 4,763 named Willow.
Ellie means Light (English origin), while Willow means Willow tree; grace (English origin).
In US records, Ellie first appears in 1880 and Willow in 1890, so Ellie has the longer recorded history.