Total births
2,940
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.
- #2212
- among boys today
- 2,940
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Elam currently ranks #2212 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 #2212 as of the latest data, more common than 85% 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.
- #2212 among boys today
- 2,940 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elam is currently the #2212 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 2,940 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2212
- among boys today
- 2,940
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Elam vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2212
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Elam was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
144 babies were named Elam in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Elam compares
2,940 Top 17% higher than 83% of 14,294 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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,940 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 144 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#2,212
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Pennsylvania share of Elam's total US births 35.1%
Even split
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? ▼
Elam has been given to 2,940 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2212 as of the latest data. 144 babies were born in 2015, its single highest year.
When was Elam most popular? ▼
Elam was most popular in the 2010s decade with 930 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Elam most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elam are Pennsylvania (1,031 births), Kentucky (54 births), Texas (54 births).
How long has the name Elam been used? ▼
Elam has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Elam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elan, Eladio, Elaine, Elazar, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Elam
Nearby Names Like Elam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elam
Elan Boy
#2650 3,533 births
Eladio Boy
#4919 1,813 births
Elaine Boy
653 births
Elazar Boy
#4621 611 births
Elai Boy
#5190 259 births
Compare Elam side by side: Elam vs Elan Elam vs Eladio Elam vs Elaine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elam
Clement #2211
14,167 births · Peak 1918
Theophilus #2213
2,448 births · Peak 2022
Boyd #2210
27,680 births · Peak 1922
Estevan #2214
8,956 births · Peak 2003
Zylus #2209
132 births · Peak 2024
Lex #2215
3,995 births · Peak 2012
Nayel #2208
503 births · Peak 2025
Amadeo #2216
1,960 births · Peak 2025
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elam: #2212 Boys' Name - 2,940 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elam. 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 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 June 2026.