Ellis

Ellis is a small island with a long shadow. The Welsh surname derives from the given name Elis, a medieval form of Elijah — Hebrew Eliyahu, "my God is the Lord" — carried by Welsh princes and, much later, by the immigration station off the coast of Manhattan that processed twelve million new Americans between 1892 and 1954. The jump to first name is a current move; Ellis entered the US top 1000 for girls in 2014 and sits around 273, tilting slightly feminine but thoroughly unisex. Two clean syllables, the soft double L, the crisp final S. Quiet, literary, quietly rooted. A name with a welcome in it.