Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1956

Elba

Gender Unisex · 92% girls Rank 2025 #11,207
Rank 2025
#11,207
among girls · ↓1,459 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
8
named Elba
How common
1 in 200,908
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1956
82 babies
All-time total
3,706
#3,324 all-time among girls
First recorded
1888
in Social Security records

Elba popularity over time

3,706 babies have been named Elba since 1888, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 11 – 11 1 – #1,178
1890s 74 5 79 8 +618% #761
1900s 91 5 96 10 +22% #998
1910s 217 78 295 30 +207% #1,194
1920s 233 111 344 34 +17% #1,385
1930s 190 69 259 26 -25% #1,352
1940s 207 21 228 23 -12% #1,674
1950s 516 8 524 52 +130% #1,144
1960s 533 10 543 54 +4% #1,364
1970s 421 6 427 43 -21% #1,661
1980s 334 – 334 33 -22% #2,195
1990s 264 – 264 26 -21% #2,658
2000s 157 – 157 16 -41% #5,367
2010s 88 – 88 9 -44% #8,722
2020s (to 2025) 57 – 57 10 +8% #7,745

The story of Elba

Elba is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #11,207 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1888, 3,706 American babies have been named Elba, about 92% girls and 8% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1956, when 82 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Elba stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Elba?

The median living Elba is about 54 years old; half are between 37 and 66. An estimated 2,400 people named Elba are alive in the United States today.

median 54 020406080100

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

Elba year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #11,207 – –
2024 10 #9,748 – –
2023 11 #9,157 – –
2022 14 #7,745 – –
2021 8 #11,404 – –
2020 6 #13,914 – –
2019 6 #14,282 – –
2018 10 #10,016 – –
2017 5 #16,564 – –
2016 8 #12,090 – –
2015 9 #11,160 – –
2014 10 #10,366 – –
2013 13 #8,722 – –
2012 7 #13,913 – –
2011 9 #11,472 – –
2010 11 #9,969 – –
2009 9 #11,748 – –
2008 17 #7,509 – –
2007 17 #7,486 – –
2006 10 #10,821 – –
2005 19 #6,352 – –
2004 18 #6,572 – –
2003 16 #6,975 – –
2002 18 #6,219 – –
2001 12 #8,349 – –
2000 21 #5,367 – –
1995 23 #4,388 – –
1990 44 #2,658 – –
1985 39 #2,502 – –
1980 38 #2,498 – –
1975 40 #2,145 – –
1970 56 #1,661 – –
1965 48 #1,625 5 #4,060
1960 61 #1,410 – –
1955 43 #1,557 – –
1950 36 #1,554 – –
1945 23 #1,763 – –
1940 10 #2,794 11 #2,220
1935 14 #2,231 6 #3,362
1930 29 #1,443 9 #2,834
1925 20 #1,958 18 #1,889
1920 33 #1,385 16 #2,069
1915 27 #1,376 8 #2,891
1910 8 #1,820 – –
1905 8 #1,454 – –
1900 6 #1,782 – –
1895 5 #1,664 – –
1890 6 #1,249 – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Elba

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Elba Rashani Elba Rashani Footballer (born 1993) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Elba?

The median living Elba is about 54 years old. Half of all living Elbas are between 37 and 66 years old.

How many people named Elba are alive today?

An estimated 2,400 people named Elba are alive in the United States, based on 3,706 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Elba in 2025?

Elba ranked #11,207 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elba?

3,706 babies have been named Elba in the United States since 1888, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elba most popular?

Elba peaked in 1956, when 82 newborns received the name.

Is Elba a boy or girl name?

Elba is used for both: about 92% of babies named Elba have been girls and 8% boys.

Is the name Elba rising or falling?

Elba has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Elba?

Well-known people named Elba include Elba Rashani (soccer player).

Names like Elba

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

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