Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Elma

Meaning A female given name originating as a coinage Gender Girl · 2% boys Rank 2025 #4,384 Trend ↑ Rising 15%

A female given name originating as a coinage.

Rank 2025
#4,384
among girls · ↑207 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Elma · +7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,227
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
674 babies
All-time total
22,186
#1,014 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Elma popularity over time

22,186 babies have been named Elma 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
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 643 – 643 64 – #223
1890s 1,355 6 1,361 136 +112% #218
1900s 1,940 5 1,945 195 +43% #209
1910s 4,802 114 4,916 492 +153% #234
1920s 4,990 171 5,161 516 +5% #266
1930s 2,793 100 2,893 289 -44% #339
1940s 1,810 67 1,877 188 -35% #470
1950s 1,139 20 1,159 116 -38% #717
1960s 654 – 654 65 -44% #1,023
1970s 329 – 329 33 -50% #1,944
1980s 196 – 196 20 -40% #3,167
1990s 183 – 183 18 -7% #3,460
2000s 411 – 411 41 +125% #2,964
2010s 298 – 298 30 -27% #4,238
2020s (to 2025) 160 – 160 27 -11% #4,350

Where Elma 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 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 33 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 34 0.02 outside top 500
2030 34 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Elma

Elma is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,384 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 22,186 American babies have been named Elma. Its peak came in 1918, when 674 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

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

How old are people named Elma?

The median living Elma is about 71 years old; half are between 48 and 82. An estimated 5,200 people named Elma are alive in the United States today.

median 71 020406080100

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

Elma 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 32 #4,384 – –
2024 30 #4,591 – –
2023 23 #5,434 – –
2022 25 #5,211 – –
2021 32 #4,350 – –
2020 18 #6,416 – –
2019 27 #4,948 – –
2018 32 #4,384 – –
2017 32 #4,425 – –
2016 27 #5,038 – –
2015 31 #4,520 – –
2014 27 #5,067 – –
2013 23 #5,708 – –
2012 35 #4,238 – –
2011 33 #4,391 – –
2010 31 #4,645 – –
2009 37 #4,126 – –
2008 37 #4,206 – –
2007 39 #4,003 – –
2006 37 #4,020 – –
2005 47 #3,283 – –
2004 37 #3,845 – –
2003 51 #2,964 – –
2002 40 #3,413 – –
2001 48 #2,974 – –
2000 38 #3,470 – –
1995 19 #5,079 – –
1990 14 #6,230 – –
1985 22 #3,761 – –
1980 22 #3,641 – –
1975 29 #2,630 – –
1970 34 #2,279 – –
1965 66 #1,354 – –
1960 111 #1,023 – –
1955 104 #978 – –
1950 143 #717 6 #3,427
1945 179 #547 5 #3,459
1940 204 #470 8 #2,723
1935 267 #393 9 #2,589
1930 362 #346 9 #2,839
1925 487 #301 17 #1,953
1920 600 #266 20 #1,775
1915 575 #245 12 #2,211
1910 273 #235 – –
1905 171 #245 5 #1,290
1900 182 #235 – –
1895 137 #234 – –
1890 108 #234 – –
1885 76 #227 – –
1880 28 #297 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Elma?

The median living Elma is about 71 years old. Half of all living Elmas are between 48 and 82 years old.

How many people named Elma are alive today?

An estimated 5,200 people named Elma are alive in the United States, based on 22,186 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Elma mean?

A female given name originating as a coinage.

How popular is the name Elma in 2025?

Elma ranked #4,384 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elma?

22,186 babies have been named Elma in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elma most popular?

Elma peaked in 1918, when 674 newborns received the name.

Is Elma a boy or girl name?

Elma is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Elma rising or falling?

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

Will Elma become more popular?

Elma looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 girls named Elma in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Elma

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

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