"Ellen" meaning in English

See Ellen in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

IPA: /ˈɛl.ən/, /ˈɛl.ɪn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav Forms: Ellens [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛlən Etymology: Medieval English variant of Helen, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē); also used as a variant of Eleanor or a feminine counterpart to Elliot. Etymology templates: {{der|en|grc|Ἑλένη}} Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē) Head templates: {{en-prop|~|s}} Ellen (countable and uncountable, plural Ellens)
  1. A female given name from Ancient Greek. Tags: countable, uncountable Derived forms: Ellenburg, Port Ellen Translations (female given name): Elena (Catalan), Ellen (Danish), Ellen (Estonian), Ellen (Finnish), Ellen [feminine] (German), Olena (Ingrian), Jelena (Ingrian), Eibhlín [feminine] (Irish), Erana (Māori), Ellen (Norwegian), Алёна (Aljóna) [feminine] (Russian), Ellen [common-gender] (Swedish), Альона (Alʹona) [feminine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-Ellen-en-name-G1A8salx Categories (other): English female given names, English given names, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Estonian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Ingrian translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 56 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Estonian translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Ingrian translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 56 44 Disambiguation of 'female given name': 100 0
  2. A river in Cumberland district, Cumbria, England, that flows into the Solway Firth at Maryport. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (place): Places in Cumbria, England, Places in England, Rivers in Cumbria, England, Rivers in England
    Sense id: en-Ellen-en-name-PuDe18Wh Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 7 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Estonian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Ingrian translations, Terms with Māori translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 62 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 41 59 Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 30 39 12 19 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 24 44 7 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Estonian translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Ingrian translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Māori translations: 40 60 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 49 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 39 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 55 45
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Hawaiian",
      "lang_code": "haw",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "ʻElena"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Ἑλένη"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Medieval English variant of Helen, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē); also used as a variant of Eleanor or a feminine counterpart to Elliot.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Ellens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "Ellen (countable and uncountable, plural Ellens)",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English female given names",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English given names",
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          "_dis": "55 45",
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        {
          "_dis": "56 44",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
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        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
          "kind": "other",
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          "_dis": "49 51",
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          "_dis": "53 47",
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        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
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          "_dis": "49 51",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "56 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
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        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "87 13",
          "word": "Ellenburg"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "87 13",
          "word": "Port Ellen"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              92,
              97
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:",
          "text": "And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? and your fairest daughter and mine, my god-daughter Ellen?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              18
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train:",
          "text": "\"Is her name Ellen or Helen, Miss Viner? I thought - \"\nMiss Viner closed her eyes.\n\"I can sound my h's, dear, as well as anyone, but Helen is not a suitable name for a servant. I don't know what the mothers in the lower classes are coming to nowadays.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              5
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007 September 10, “Review: Jones, Coens, Penn highlight Toronto”, in CNN:",
          "text": "Ellen Page gives a star-making performance as a 16-year-old live wire who decides to go through with her pregnancy and seeks acceptably well-adjusted, wealthy, punk-rock loving parents for the unborn baby.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A female given name from Ancient Greek."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ellen-en-name-G1A8salx",
      "links": [
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "lang_code": "ca",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Elena"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "lang_code": "da",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "lang_code": "et",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "izh",
          "lang": "Ingrian",
          "lang_code": "izh",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Olena"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "izh",
          "lang": "Ingrian",
          "lang_code": "izh",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Jelena"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "lang_code": "ga",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Eibhlín"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Erana"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "lang_code": "no",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "Aljóna",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Алёна"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "Ellen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "lang_code": "uk",
          "roman": "Alʹona",
          "sense": "female given name",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Альона"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Places in Cumbria, England",
          "orig": "en:Places in Cumbria, England",
          "parents": [
            "Places"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Places in England",
          "orig": "en:Places in England",
          "parents": [
            "Places"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rivers in Cumbria, England",
          "orig": "en:Rivers in Cumbria, England",
          "parents": [
            "Rivers",
            "Places"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rivers in England",
          "orig": "en:Rivers in England",
          "parents": [
            "Rivers",
            "Places"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 59",
          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
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        },
        {
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          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
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        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 60",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Māori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 61",
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A river in Cumberland district, Cumbria, England, that flows into the Solway Firth at Maryport."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ellen-en-name-PuDe18Wh",
      "links": [
        [
          "river",
          "river"
        ],
        [
          "Cumberland",
          "Cumberland#English"
        ],
        [
          "Cumbria",
          "Cumbria#English"
        ],
        [
          "England",
          "England#English"
        ],
        [
          "Solway Firth",
          "Solway Firth"
        ],
        [
          "Maryport",
          "Maryport#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛl.ən/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛl.ɪn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlən"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ellen"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ellen"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 7 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlən",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlən/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Estonian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Ingrian translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Māori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Ellenburg"
    },
    {
      "word": "Port Ellen"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Hawaiian",
      "lang_code": "haw",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "ʻElena"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Ἑλένη"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Medieval English variant of Helen, from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē); also used as a variant of Eleanor or a feminine counterpart to Elliot.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Ellens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "Ellen (countable and uncountable, plural Ellens)",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English female given names",
        "English female given names from Ancient Greek",
        "English given names",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
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        {
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              92,
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          "ref": "c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:",
          "text": "And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? and your fairest daughter and mine, my god-daughter Ellen?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              18
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          ],
          "ref": "1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train:",
          "text": "\"Is her name Ellen or Helen, Miss Viner? I thought - \"\nMiss Viner closed her eyes.\n\"I can sound my h's, dear, as well as anyone, but Helen is not a suitable name for a servant. I don't know what the mothers in the lower classes are coming to nowadays.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
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          ],
          "ref": "2007 September 10, “Review: Jones, Coens, Penn highlight Toronto”, in CNN:",
          "text": "Ellen Page gives a star-making performance as a 16-year-old live wire who decides to go through with her pregnancy and seeks acceptably well-adjusted, wealthy, punk-rock loving parents for the unborn baby.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A female given name from Ancient Greek."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "uncountable"
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    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Places in Cumbria, England",
        "en:Places in England",
        "en:Rivers in Cumbria, England",
        "en:Rivers in England"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A river in Cumberland district, Cumbria, England, that flows into the Solway Firth at Maryport."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "river",
          "river"
        ],
        [
          "Cumberland",
          "Cumberland#English"
        ],
        [
          "Cumbria",
          "Cumbria#English"
        ],
        [
          "England",
          "England#English"
        ],
        [
          "Solway Firth",
          "Solway Firth"
        ],
        [
          "Maryport",
          "Maryport#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
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    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛl.ən/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛl.ɪn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Ellen.wav.mp3",
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlən"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ellen"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Elena"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "lang_code": "da",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "lang_code": "et",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "izh",
      "lang": "Ingrian",
      "lang_code": "izh",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Olena"
    },
    {
      "code": "izh",
      "lang": "Ingrian",
      "lang_code": "izh",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Jelena"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Eibhlín"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Erana"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "lang_code": "no",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "Aljóna",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Алёна"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "Ellen"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "lang_code": "uk",
      "roman": "Alʹona",
      "sense": "female given name",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Альона"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ellen"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-11 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-02-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 59dc20b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.