boys' name ★ peaked 2015

Elam

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,213 Trend ↓ Falling 34%
Rank 2025
#2,213
among boys · ↑1 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
64
named Elam · -2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 26,689
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2015
144 babies
All-time total
2,940
#2,571 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Elam popularity over time

2,940 babies have been named Elam since 1880, 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2015Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 28 3 – #824
1890s 20 2 -29% #762
1900s 15 2 -25% #1,096
1910s 111 11 +640% #1,428
1920s 154 15 +39% #1,659
1930s 84 8 -45% #1,929
1940s 110 11 +31% #1,779
1950s 101 10 -8% #2,051
1960s 87 9 -14% #2,354
1970s 128 13 +47% #2,401
1980s 157 16 +23% #2,188
1990s 209 21 +33% #2,558
2000s 354 35 +69% #2,493
2010s 930 93 +163% #1,257
2020s (to 2025) 452 75 -19% #1,693

Where Elam is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 60 0.04 outside top 500
2027 57 0.03 outside top 500
2028 54 0.03 outside top 500
2029 52 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

Where Elam is most popular

Boys named Elam per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.042 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Elam born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Pennsylvania 90 0.339 +713%
Kentucky 12 0.120 +187%
Indiana 11 0.069 +65%
Ohio 17 0.064 +54%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -53%
California 15 0.016 -61%
New York 5 0.012 -72%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Florida – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Texas – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Elam

Elam is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,213 in 2025 with 64 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,940 American babies have been named Elam. Its peak came in 2015, when 144 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 Elam stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Elam?

The median living Elam is about 13 years old; half are between 7 and 30. An estimated 2,400 people named Elam are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

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

Elam year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 64 #2,213
2024 65 #2,214
2023 60 #2,326
2022 74 #2,043
2021 97 #1,693
2020 92 #1,696
2019 101 #1,627
2018 103 #1,595
2017 109 #1,518
2016 108 #1,540
2015 144 #1,257
2014 102 #1,561
2013 73 #1,919
2012 64 #2,109
2011 58 #2,240
2010 68 #2,022
2009 51 #2,493
2008 40 #2,966
2007 42 #2,832
2006 34 #3,174
2005 35 #2,972
2004 28 #3,389
2003 37 #2,689
2002 26 #3,383
2001 27 #3,256
2000 34 #2,690
1995 16 #3,919
1990 22 #2,891
1985 10 #4,139
1980 19 #2,564
1975 12 #3,123
1970 10 #3,131
1965 9 #2,853
1960 8 #3,160
1955 10 #2,633
1950 14 #2,051
1945 8 #2,617
1940 12 #2,109
1935 9 #2,584
1930 9 #2,833
1925 9 #2,991
1920 22 #1,659
1915 17 #1,725
1910 – –
1905 5 #1,287
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 6 #847

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Elam?

The median living Elam is about 13 years old. Half of all living Elams are between 7 and 30 years old.

How many people named Elam are alive today?

An estimated 2,400 people named Elam are alive in the United States, based on 2,940 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Elam in 2025?

Elam ranked #2,213 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 64 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elam?

2,940 babies have been named Elam in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elam most popular?

Elam peaked in 2015, when 144 newborns received the name.

Is Elam a boy or girl name?

Elam is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Elam rising or falling?

Elam is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Elam become more popular?

Elam is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Elam in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Elam

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

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