Ennis: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Ennis is an Irish boy's name meaning “island.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Island
- Gender
- Boy
How do you pronounce Ennis?
Ennis is pronounced EN-is. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Ennis mean?
Ennis comes from the Irish inis, “island,” a word also used for a river meadow bounded by water. The best-known Ennis is the county town of County Clare, Inis in Irish, which stands on land between two channels of the River Fergus; an older form of its name is given as Inis Cluana Rámhfada, “island of the long rowing meadow.” The O’Brien kings of Thomond founded Ennis Friary there in the 13th century.
In Ireland the surname Ennis can also be an anglicized form of Ó hAonghuis, “descendant of Aonghus” (Angus), and in Scotland it can come from Innes.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), duchas.ie.
How popular is Ennis in Ireland?
Ennis is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.
Ennis in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Ennis, letter by letter.
- EEadhadh, aspen
- NNion, ash
- NNion, ash
- IIodhadh, yew
- SSail, willow
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Ennis
Questions about Ennis
- How do you pronounce Ennis?
- Ennis is pronounced EN-is. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Ennis mean?
- Ennis means “island.”
- Is Ennis a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Ennis is a boy's name.
- Is Ennis a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Ennis in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.