diff --git a/doc/missing-references.json b/doc/missing-references.json
index 52ffa65805b1..bc95ad1880c2 100644
--- a/doc/missing-references.json
+++ b/doc/missing-references.json
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@
     "matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle._Base": [
       "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.Circle:1",
       "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.DArrow:1",
+      "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.Ellipse:1",
       "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.LArrow:1",
       "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.Round4:1",
       "lib/matplotlib/patches.py:docstring of matplotlib.patches.BoxStyle.Round:1",
diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/ellipse_annotation.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/ellipse_annotation.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d6a989e77a5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/ellipse_annotation.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+``ellipse`` boxstyle option for annotations
+-------------------------------------------
+
+The ``'ellipse'`` option for boxstyle can now be used to create annotations
+with an elliptical outline. It can be used as a closed curve shape for
+longer texts instead of the ``'circle'`` boxstyle which can get quite big.
+
+.. plot::
+    :include-source: true
+
+    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(5, 5))
+    t = ax.text(0.5, 0.5, "elliptical box",
+            ha="center", size=15,
+            bbox=dict(boxstyle="ellipse,pad=0.3"))
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
index f127ab20a97b..7b0314bcbfe9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import textwrap
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 from collections import namedtuple
+from matplotlib.transforms import Affine2D
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -2337,7 +2338,35 @@ def __call__(self, x0, y0, width, height, mutation_size):
             # boundary of the padded box
             x0, y0 = x0 - pad, y0 - pad
             return Path.circle((x0 + width / 2, y0 + height / 2),
-                               max(width, height) / 2)
+                                max(width, height) / 2)
+
+    @_register_style(_style_list)
+    class Ellipse:
+        """
+        An elliptical box.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 3.7
+        """
+
+        def __init__(self, pad=0.3):
+            """
+            Parameters
+            ----------
+            pad : float, default: 0.3
+                The amount of padding around the original box.
+            """
+            self.pad = pad
+
+        def __call__(self, x0, y0, width, height, mutation_size):
+            pad = mutation_size * self.pad
+            width, height = width + 2 * pad, height + 2 * pad
+            # boundary of the padded box
+            x0, y0 = x0 - pad, y0 - pad
+            a = width / math.sqrt(2)
+            b = height / math.sqrt(2)
+            trans = Affine2D().scale(a, b).translate(x0 + width / 2,
+                                                     y0 + height / 2)
+            return trans.transform_path(Path.unit_circle())
 
     @_register_style(_style_list)
     class LArrow:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_arrow_patches/boxarrow_test_image.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_arrow_patches/boxarrow_test_image.png
index 9e613ff40ca9..11ad0b89b4db 100644
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_arrow_patches/boxarrow_test_image.png and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_arrow_patches/boxarrow_test_image.png differ
diff --git a/tutorials/text/annotations.py b/tutorials/text/annotations.py
index 6029d1180d08..4889f63d7465 100644
--- a/tutorials/text/annotations.py
+++ b/tutorials/text/annotations.py
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@
 #   ==========   ==============   ==========================
 #   Circle       ``circle``       pad=0.3
 #   DArrow       ``darrow``       pad=0.3
+#   Ellipse      ``ellipse``      pad=0.3
 #   LArrow       ``larrow``       pad=0.3
 #   RArrow       ``rarrow``       pad=0.3
 #   Round        ``round``        pad=0.3,rounding_size=None