Total births
246
Unisex name · since 1915
El
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 246 babies named El, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 246
- total births
- 1915–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
El sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 246 recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show El recorded 246 times among boys since 1915, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2023.
- 246 total births
- 1915–2023 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 16% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
246 boys have been named El since 1915, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2023.
- 246
- total births
- 1915–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named El was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
11 babies were named El in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
El's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
El splits its recorded history at 1971: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1924 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
El at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
2000
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1915
El popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2023
- Peak year (2000)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
El popularity over time - girls
38 total births recorded since 1928 (El as girls' name)
El by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was El's strongest decade.
40 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
El births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
21 births
- 1920s
1920s
30 births
- 1930s
1930s
27 births
- 1940s 15
1940s
15 births
- 1950s 7
1950s
7 births
- 1960s
1960s
16 births
- 1970s
1970s
40 births
- 1980s
1980s
16 births
- 1990s
1990s
33 births
- 2000s
2000s
36 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 40 births (16% of all-time use).
El by state
Where El concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 10 | 4.1% |
New York share of El's total US births 4.1%
10 of 246 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name El? ▼
El has been given to 246 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2023. 11 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was El most popular? ▼
El was most popular in the 1970s decade with 40 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is El most popular? ▼
The top states for the name El are New York (10 births).
Is El a unisex name? ▼
Yes, El is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 246 births, and as a girl's name it has 38 births.
How long has the name El been used? ▼
Records for El go back to 1915, giving 109 years of history through 2023.
What names are similar to El? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elijah, Eli, Elmer, Elias, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with El's data
- El's decade-level peak was the 1970s (40 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Els (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- 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 El
Nearby Names Like El
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to El
Elijah Boy
#8 380,611 births
Eli Boy
#92 153,495 births
Elmer Boy
#1155 129,591 births
Elias Boy
#25 129,263 births
Elliott Boy
#162 62,551 births
Compare El side by side: El vs Elijah El vs Eli El vs Elmer
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1915–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "El: Baby Name Since 1915 - 246 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/el. 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 El 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 July 2026.