Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Elder

Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #2,725 Trend ↑ Rising 43%
Rank 2025
#2,725
among boys · ↓328 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
47
named Elder · -19% vs 2024
How common
1 in 36,342
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
58 babies
All-time total
2,320
#3,045 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Elder popularity over time

2,320 babies have been named Elder 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 – 45 45 5 – #699
1890s – 48 48 5 +7% #556
1900s – 49 49 5 +2% #801
1910s 6 191 197 20 +302% #998
1920s 36 213 249 25 +26% #1,365
1930s 5 123 128 13 -49% #1,557
1940s 5 94 99 10 -23% #1,927
1950s – 59 59 6 -40% #2,354
1960s – 30 30 3 -49% #3,437
1970s – 49 49 5 +63% #3,453
1980s – 70 70 7 +43% #3,178
1990s – 233 233 23 +233% #2,408
2000s – 422 422 42 +81% #2,259
2010s – 373 373 37 -12% #2,597
2020s (to 2025) – 269 269 45 +20% #2,397

Where Elder 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 50 0.03 outside top 500
2027 52 0.03 outside top 500
2028 55 0.03 outside top 500
2029 57 0.03 outside top 500
2030 58 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Elder

Elder is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,725 in 2025 with 47 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,320 American babies have been named Elder. Its peak came in 2024, when 58 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Elder?

The median living Elder is about 18 years old; half are between 8 and 29. An estimated 1,500 people named Elder are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

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

Elder 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 – – 47 #2,725
2024 – – 58 #2,397
2023 – – 48 #2,706
2022 – – 41 #3,019
2021 – – 44 #2,831
2020 – – 31 #3,514
2019 – – 50 #2,597
2018 – – 30 #3,632
2017 – – 44 #2,770
2016 – – 40 #2,945
2015 – – 32 #3,457
2014 – – 45 #2,676
2013 – – 29 #3,602
2012 – – 27 #3,827
2011 – – 35 #3,187
2010 – – 41 #2,887
2009 – – 41 #2,915
2008 – – 48 #2,600
2007 – – 56 #2,314
2006 – – 56 #2,259
2005 – – 40 #2,721
2004 – – 36 #2,860
2003 – – 39 #2,588
2002 – – 46 #2,263
2001 – – 28 #3,165
2000 – – 32 #2,825
1995 – – 22 #3,128
1990 – – 24 #2,723
1985 – – 7 #5,317
1980 – – 7 #5,096
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 6 #4,390
1965 – – – –
1960 – – 7 #3,437
1955 – – 7 #3,283
1950 – – 11 #2,354
1945 – – 10 #2,292
1940 – – 14 #1,927
1935 – – 11 #2,288
1930 – – 8 #3,102
1925 7 #4,134 12 #2,476
1920 – – 25 #1,517
1915 6 #3,915 14 #1,999
1910 – – 11 #998
1905 – – 9 #858
1900 – – 11 #801
1895 – – 8 #814
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 8 #699

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Elder?

The median living Elder is about 18 years old. Half of all living Elders are between 8 and 29 years old.

How many people named Elder are alive today?

An estimated 1,500 people named Elder are alive in the United States, based on 2,320 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Elder in 2025?

Elder ranked #2,725 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 47 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elder?

2,320 babies have been named Elder in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elder most popular?

Elder peaked in 2024, when 58 newborns received the name.

Is Elder a boy or girl name?

Elder is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Elder rising or falling?

Elder is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Elder become more popular?

Elder is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 58 boys named Elder in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Elder

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

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