Total births
3,393
Unisex name · since 1888
Elba
3,393 babies named Elba in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9575
- among girls today
- 3,393
- born since 1888
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
3,393 babies have been named Elba since 1888, making it today's #9575 unisex name.
Elba has 3,393 recorded births among girls since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9575 as of the latest data, more common than 46% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #9575 among girls today
- 3,393 born since 1888
- 1960s peak decade
- 46% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elba is currently the #9575 unisex name in America, more common than 46% of girls - 3,393 born since 1888, peaking in the 1960s.
- #9575
- among girls today
- 3,393
- born since 1888
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
Elba vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9575
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 46% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Elba was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
82 babies were named Elba in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Elba compares
3,393 Top 16% higher than 84% 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
Elba's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elba | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,393 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 82 | 48 | 19,840 |
Elba's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Elba's full recorded timeline at 1957, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 82 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Elba at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#9,575
Active since
1888
Elba popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 82
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Elba popularity over time - boys
313 total births recorded since 1892 (Elba as boys' name)
Elba by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Elba's strongest decade.
533 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Elba births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11
1880s
11 births
- 1890s 74
1890s
74 births
- 1900s 91
1900s
91 births
- 1910s
1910s
217 births
- 1920s
1920s
233 births
- 1930s 190
1930s
190 births
- 1940s 207
1940s
207 births
- 1950s
1950s
516 births
- 1960s
1960s
533 births
- 1970s
1970s
421 births
- 1980s
1980s
334 births
- 1990s
1990s
264 births
- 2000s 157
2000s
157 births
- 2010s 88
2010s
88 births
- 2020s 57
2020s
57 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 533 births (16% of all-time use).
How Elba 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 Elba's total volume
Elba vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Elba by state
Where Elba concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 922 | 27.2% |
| #2 | California | | 405 | 11.9% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 99 | 2.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 86 | 2.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 55 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 0.1% |
New York share of Elba's total US births 27.2%
Even split
922 of 3,393 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Elba appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elba? ▼
Elba has been given to 3,393 babies in the U.S. since 1888, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #9575 as of the latest data. 82 babies were born in 1956, its single highest year.
When was Elba most popular? ▼
Elba was most popular in the 1960s decade with 533 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Elba most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elba are New York (922 births), California (405 births), New Jersey (99 births).
Is Elba a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Elba is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 3,393 births, and as a boy's name it has 313 births.
How long has the name Elba been used? ▼
Elba has been recorded in Social Security data since 1888, spanning 138 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Elba? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elberta, Elbony, Elbert, Elbia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Elba's data
- Elba's decade-level peak was the 1960s (533 total births); usage has since declined to 57 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Elbas (922 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 Elba
Nearby Names Like Elba
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elba
Elberta Girl
1,750 births
Elbony Girl
189 births
Elbert Girl
97 births
Elbia Girl
63 births
Elbira Girl
18 births
Compare Elba side by side: Elba vs Elberta Elba vs Elbony Elba vs Elbert
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elba
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, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elba: #9575 Unisex Name - 3,393 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elba. 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 Elba 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.