Elah: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,286

among girls · ↑3,055 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Elah

How common

1 in 48,705

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2015

33 babies

All-time total

390

#13,718 all-time among girls

First recorded

1905

in Social Security records

Elah popularity over time

390 babies have been named Elah since 1905, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	5	1	–	#2,023
1910s	6	1	+20%	#3,914
1920s	12	1	+100%	#4,088
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	–	–	–	–
2000s	65	7	–	#6,877
2010s	180	18	+177%	#4,326
2020s (to 2025)	122	20	+13%	#4,286

Where Elah is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	34	0.02	outside top 500
2027	35	0.02	outside top 500
2028	36	0.02	outside top 500
2029	37	0.02	outside top 500
2030	37	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Elah

Elah is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,286 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1905, 390 American babies have been named Elah. Its peak came in 2015, when 33 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Elah stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Elah?

The median living Elah is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 14. An estimated 400 people named Elah are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Elah year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	33	#4,286
2024	15	#7,341
2023	10	#9,803
2022	18	#6,526
2021	26	#4,997
2020	20	#5,923
2019	18	#6,499
2018	14	#7,885
2017	18	#6,617
2016	18	#6,729
2015	33	#4,326
2014	14	#8,177
2013	14	#8,256
2012	14	#8,325
2011	19	#6,648
2010	18	#6,997
2009	14	#8,574
2008	19	#6,877
2007	18	#7,169
2006	7	#14,012
2005	7	#13,410
2004	–	–
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	7	#4,088
1915	6	#3,914
1910	–	–
1905	5	#2,023
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Elah, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Elah?

The median living Elah is about 9 years old. Half of all living Elahs are between 4 and 14 years old.

How many people named Elah are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Elah are alive in the United States, based on 390 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Elah in 2025?

Elah ranked #4,286 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elah?

390 babies have been named Elah in the United States since 1905, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elah most popular?

Elah peaked in 2015, when 33 newborns received the name.

Is Elah a boy or girl name?

Elah is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Elah rising or falling?

Elah has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Elah become more popular?

Elah is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 37 girls named Elah in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Elah

Names that sound and feel close to Elah: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Elah with similar names → More names starting with E →