Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1926

Elwin

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,907 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#4,907
among boys · ↑1,656 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
20
named Elwin
How common
1 in 85,404
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1926
150 babies
All-time total
5,181
#1,744 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Elwin popularity over time

5,181 babies have been named Elwin since 1882, 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 41 41 4 – #638
1890s – 65 65 7 +59% #613
1900s – 107 107 11 +65% #543
1910s – 830 830 83 +676% #462
1920s 5 1,316 1,321 132 +59% #502
1930s – 820 820 82 -38% #572
1940s – 603 603 60 -26% #745
1950s – 483 483 48 -20% #856
1960s – 224 224 22 -54% #1,267
1970s – 127 127 13 -43% #2,153
1980s – 113 113 11 -11% #2,926
1990s – 128 128 13 +13% #3,370
2000s – 123 123 12 -4% #4,891
2010s – 108 108 11 -12% #5,640
2020s (to 2025) – 88 88 15 +36% #4,907

Where Elwin 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 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 21 0.01 outside top 500
2028 21 0.01 outside top 500
2029 21 0.01 outside top 500
2030 21 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Elwin

Elwin is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,907 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 5,181 American babies have been named Elwin. Its peak came in 1926, when 150 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

How old are people named Elwin?

The median living Elwin is about 64 years old; half are between 33 and 77. An estimated 1,600 people named Elwin are alive in the United States today.

median 64 020406080100

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

Elwin 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 – – 20 #4,907
2024 – – 13 #6,563
2023 – – 12 #7,021
2022 – – 18 #5,270
2021 – – 11 #7,242
2020 – – 14 #6,061
2019 – – 16 #5,640
2018 – – 15 #5,850
2017 – – 6 #11,166
2016 – – 14 #6,134
2015 – – – –
2014 – – 10 #7,717
2013 – – 9 #8,309
2012 – – 14 #6,091
2011 – – 15 #5,752
2010 – – 9 #8,331
2009 – – 8 #9,235
2008 – – 11 #7,349
2007 – – 14 #6,008
2006 – – 12 #6,588
2005 – – 17 #4,891
2004 – – 15 #5,328
2003 – – 10 #6,877
2002 – – 11 #6,210
2001 – – 15 #4,959
2000 – – 10 #6,459
1995 – – 10 #5,622
1990 – – 12 #4,483
1985 – – 10 #4,141
1980 – – 7 #5,103
1975 – – 17 #2,476
1970 – – 11 #2,951
1965 – – 16 #2,011
1960 – – 29 #1,494
1955 – – 45 #1,108
1950 – – 64 #856
1945 – – 68 #745
1940 – – 64 #775
1935 – – 79 #670
1930 – – 88 #665
1925 – – 129 #540
1920 – – 129 #540
1915 – – 124 #498
1910 – – 16 #763
1905 – – 8 #945
1900 – – 10 #859
1895 – – 8 #816
1890 – – 5 #1,050
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Elwin

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

  1. 1 Elwin Bruno Christoffel Elwin Bruno Christoffel German mathematician and physicist (1829–1900) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Elwin?

The median living Elwin is about 64 years old. Half of all living Elwins are between 33 and 77 years old.

How many people named Elwin are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Elwin are alive in the United States, based on 5,181 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Elwin in 2025?

Elwin ranked #4,907 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Elwin?

5,181 babies have been named Elwin in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Elwin most popular?

Elwin peaked in 1926, when 150 newborns received the name.

Is Elwin a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Elwin rising or falling?

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

Will Elwin become more popular?

Elwin looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 21 boys named Elwin in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Elwin?

Well-known people named Elwin include Elwin Bruno Christoffel (mathematician).

Names like Elwin

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

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