Total births
538
Girls' name · since 1918
Ailsa
Ailsa has 538 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2003 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15459
- among girls today
- 538
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ailsa is the #15459 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 538 recorded since 1918.
Social Security Administration records show Ailsa recorded 538 times among girls since 1918, holding rank #15459 nationally today, ahead of 13% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2024.
- #15459 among girls today
- 538 born since 1918
- 2000s peak decade
- 13% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ailsa is currently the #15459 girls' name in America, more common than 13% of girls - 538 born since 1918, peaking in the 2000s.
- #15459
- among girls today
- 538
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
Ailsa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15459
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 13% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Ailsa was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
19 babies were named Ailsa in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Ailsa compares
538 Top 43% higher than 57% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ailsa's all-time total is 41% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ailsa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 538 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ailsa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ailsa splits its recorded history at 1997: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1918 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2003 peak of 19 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ailsa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#15,459
Active since
1918
Ailsa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2024
- Peak year (2003)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Ailsa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Ailsa's strongest decade.
123 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Ailsa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 21
1920s
21 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s
1970s
80 births
- 1980s 45
1980s
45 births
- 1990s
1990s
112 births
- 2000s
2000s
123 births
- 2010s
2010s
121 births
- 2020s 25
2020s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 123 births (23% of all-time use).
How Ailsa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ailsa's total volume
Ailsa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ailsa? ▼
Ailsa has been given to 538 babies in the U.S. since 1918, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #15459 as of the latest data. 19 babies were born in 2003, its single highest year.
When was Ailsa most popular? ▼
Ailsa was most popular in the 2000s decade with 123 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
How long has the name Ailsa been used? ▼
Ailsa has been recorded in Social Security data since 1918, spanning 107 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Ailsa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Aileen, Ailany, Ailani, Ailyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ailsa's data
- Ailsa's decade-level peak was the 2000s (123 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ailsa
Nearby Names Like Ailsa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ailsa
Aileen Girl
#720 37,637 births
Ailany Girl
#101 11,160 births
Ailani Girl
#327 7,899 births
Ailyn Girl
#1387 4,490 births
Aila Girl
#793 4,268 births
Compare Ailsa side by side: Ailsa vs Aileen Ailsa vs Ailany Ailsa vs Ailani
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ailsa
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1918–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ailsa: #15459 Girls' Name - 538 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ailsa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ailsa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.