Ennis
Ennis is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 27,923, making it the 6th largest town, and 11th largest urban settlement in Ireland, as of the 2022 census.
Meaning & Origin of Ennis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ennis is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 27,923, making it the 6th largest town, and 11th largest urban settlement in Ireland, as of the 2022 census.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Ennis
As a girl name
Ennis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1898, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 19 Enniss were born — ranking #1,805 that year. As of 2026, Ennis ranks #6,590 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 320 Enniss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ennis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1922, when 62 Enniss were born — ranking #871 that year. As of 2026, Ennis ranks #5,661 for boys with 16 births, rising sharply (+35% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Enniss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ennis
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- James Bartholomew Blackwell , French Revolutionary soldier
- Tony MacMahon , Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster.
- John Cunneen , American lawyer and politician
- Thomas Dermody , 18th-century poet
- Michael Enright , Democratic Left politician
- Kieran Hanrahan , radio host and tenor banjo player who won the All-Ireland banjo championship at age 14
- Maeve Kelly , novelist
- Michael Houlihan , former President of the Law Society of Ireland
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ennis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ennis is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ennis
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About the name Ennis
Ennis is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Ennis's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #578. Use the chart and map above to compare Ennis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.