Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2009

Ely

Gender Unisex · 12% girls Rank 2025 #2,653 Trend ↓ Falling 28%

Inherited from Middle English Ely, from Old English Ēlīġ, of uncertain origin.

Rank 2025
#2,653
among boys · ↑411 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
65
named Ely · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 34,859
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
175 babies
All-time total
5,087
#1,919 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ely popularity over time

5,087 babies have been named Ely 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 – 42 42 4 – #551
1890s – 43 43 4 +2% #707
1900s – 34 34 3 -21% #983
1910s 5 187 192 19 +465% #1,065
1920s – 170 170 17 -11% #1,519
1930s – 90 90 9 -47% #1,801
1940s – 84 84 8 -7% #2,232
1950s – 84 84 8 0% #2,165
1960s – 74 74 7 -12% #2,584
1970s 11 224 235 24 +218% #1,625
1980s 12 352 364 36 +55% #1,557
1990s 75 484 559 56 +54% #1,530
2000s 143 1,254 1,397 140 +150% #1,085
2010s 228 1,079 1,307 131 -6% #1,181
2020s (to 2025) 142 270 412 69 -47% #2,631

Where Ely 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 46 0.03 outside top 500
2027 44 0.03 outside top 500
2028 42 0.02 outside top 500
2029 41 0.02 outside top 500
2030 40 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ely

Ely is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,653 in 2025 with 49 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,087 American babies have been named Ely, about 88% boys and 12% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2009, when 175 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Ely?

The median living Ely is about 18 years old; half are between 12 and 29. An estimated 4,400 people named Ely 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.

Ely 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 16 #6,925 49 #2,653
2024 29 #4,696 40 #3,064
2023 28 #4,788 46 #2,777
2022 30 #4,619 39 #3,115
2021 23 #5,454 48 #2,663
2020 16 #7,017 48 #2,631
2019 27 #4,949 71 #2,051
2018 26 #5,055 75 #1,964
2017 28 #4,846 73 #1,961
2016 15 #7,713 105 #1,567
2015 26 #5,174 109 #1,516
2014 25 #5,357 104 #1,540
2013 19 #6,547 123 #1,373
2012 23 #5,762 132 #1,305
2011 18 #6,940 150 #1,181
2010 21 #6,246 137 #1,271
2009 16 #7,789 159 #1,149
2008 17 #7,514 153 #1,171
2007 18 #7,174 146 #1,208
2006 18 #6,946 142 #1,188
2005 13 #8,484 152 #1,085
2004 17 #6,880 143 #1,104
2003 7 #12,822 94 #1,412
2002 15 #7,166 88 #1,450
2001 14 #7,438 85 #1,454
2000 8 #11,044 92 #1,373
1995 6 #12,240 43 #1,961
1990 11 #7,469 42 #1,848
1985 – – 33 #1,808
1980 – – 35 #1,664
1975 – – 21 #2,150
1970 – – 16 #2,326
1965 – – 6 #3,651
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 6 #3,625
1950 – – 8 #2,847
1945 – – 8 #2,622
1940 – – 8 #2,729
1935 – – 7 #3,048
1930 – – 5 #4,167
1925 – – 16 #2,033
1920 – – 25 #1,519
1915 – – 25 #1,351
1910 – – 10 #1,065
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 7 #1,079
1895 – – 10 #707
1890 – – 5 #1,051
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 5 #953

Famous people named Ely

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

  1. 1 Ely Ould Mohamed Vall Ely Ould Mohamed Vall Head of State of Mauritania from 2005 to 2007 1953–2017 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ely?

The median living Ely is about 18 years old. Half of all living Elys are between 12 and 29 years old.

How many people named Ely are alive today?

An estimated 4,400 people named Ely are alive in the United States, based on 5,087 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ely mean?

Inherited from Middle English Ely, from Old English Ēlīġ, of uncertain origin.

How popular is the name Ely in 2025?

Ely ranked #2,653 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 49 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ely?

5,087 babies have been named Ely in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ely most popular?

Ely peaked in 2009, when 175 newborns received the name.

Is Ely a boy or girl name?

Ely is used for both: about 12% of babies named Ely have been girls and 88% boys.

Is the name Ely rising or falling?

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

Will Ely become more popular?

Ely is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 40 boys named Ely in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ely?

Well-known people named Ely include Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (politician).

Names like Ely

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

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