Boys' name · since 1880
Elam
2,940 babies named Elam in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2015. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,571 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,210 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,940
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Elam currently ranks #2210 among boys' names in America, with 2,940 babies recorded since 1880.
Elam has 2,940 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2210 as of the latest data, more common than 84% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2,571 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,210 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,940 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elam ranks #2,571 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,210 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,940 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,571 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,210 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,940
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Elam's 2,940 recorded births place it above 94.34% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
15 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
How Elam compares
2,940 Top 18% higher than 82% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Elam's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elam | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,940 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 144 | 34 | 22,252 |
Elam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Elam's SSA record in two at 1963 and the more recent half accounts for 78% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 22%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2015 peak of 144, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Elam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 144
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Elam by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (930 births, 32% of the file).
2010s was Elam's strongest decade.
930 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Elam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 28
1880s
28 births
- 1890s 20
1890s
20 births
- 1900s 15
1900s
15 births
- 1910s 111
1910s
111 births
- 1920s 154
1920s
154 births
- 1930s 84
1930s
84 births
- 1940s 110
1940s
110 births
- 1950s 101
1950s
101 births
- 1960s 87
1960s
87 births
- 1970s 128
1970s
128 births
- 1980s 157
1980s
157 births
- 1990s 209
1990s
209 births
- 2000s 354
2000s
354 births
- 2010s
2010s
930 births
- 2020s
2020s
452 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 930 births (32% of all-time use).
How Elam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Elam's total volume
Elam by state
Where Elam concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 1,031 | 35.1% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 54 | 1.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 54 | 1.8% |
| #4 | California | | 46 | 1.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 45 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 35 | 1.2% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 33 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 27 | 0.9% |
1,031 of 2,940 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Elam appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elam? ▼
Where does Elam sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elam most popular? ▼
Where is Elam most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elam been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elam? ▼
What to do with Elam's data
- Elam's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (930 total births) through the 2020s (452) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Pennsylvania records the most Elams (1,031 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elam
Nearby Names Like Elam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elam
Compare Elam side by side: Elam vs Elan Elam vs Eladio Elam vs Elaine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elam
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Elam 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 August 2026.