Ennis

Meaning of Ennis

Ennis is a traditionally masculine appellation rooted in the Gaelic term inis, signifying “island” within the lexicon of early medieval Irish topography, and originally employed as both a descriptive placename—denoting river isles and peninsulas—and a hereditary surname. Pronounced EN-is (/ˈɛn.ɪs/), it has been adopted in Anglo-American naming conventions for its concise phonetic structure and substantive Celtic provenance. In the United States, Ennis has maintained a modest yet steady presence—recording fifteen occurrences in 2024, which correspond to a Social Security Administration rank of 909—mirroring slight fluctuations around the lower 900s over the past decade. This technical derivation underscores a semantic emphasis on geographical singularity, while its contemporary usage reflects a preference for succinct, historically anchored names that convey cultural depth without recourse to elaborate ornamentation.