Total births
3,959
Boys' name · since 1886
Elgin
3,959 babies named Elgin in U.S. Social Security records since 1886, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7785
- among boys today
- 3,959
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
3,959 babies have been named Elgin since 1886, making it today's #7785 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elgin has been recorded 3,959 times among boys since 1886, currently ranked #7785 nationally and more common than 46% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #7785 among boys today
- 3,959 born since 1886
- 1920s peak decade
- 46% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elgin is currently the #7785 boys' name in America, more common than 46% of boys - 3,959 born since 1886, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7785
- among boys today
- 3,959
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
Elgin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7785
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 46% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Elgin was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
69 babies were named Elgin in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Elgin compares
3,959 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Elgin's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elgin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,959 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 69 | 23 | 22,252 |
Elgin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Elgin splits its recorded history at 1961: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1886 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 69 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Elgin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#7,785
Active since
1886
Elgin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 69
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Elgin popularity over time - girls
43 total births recorded since 1915 (Elgin as girls' name)
Elgin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Elgin's strongest decade.
532 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Elgin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 29
1890s
29 births
- 1900s 56
1900s
56 births
- 1910s
1910s
375 births
- 1920s
1920s
532 births
- 1930s
1930s
324 births
- 1940s
1940s
309 births
- 1950s
1950s
312 births
- 1960s
1960s
481 births
- 1970s
1970s
425 births
- 1980s
1980s
321 births
- 1990s
1990s
242 births
- 2000s
2000s
265 births
- 2010s 205
2010s
205 births
- 2020s 71
2020s
71 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 532 births (13% of all-time use).
How Elgin 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 Elgin's total volume
Elgin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Elgin by state
Where Elgin concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 325 | 8.2% |
| #2 | California | | 142 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 48 | 1.2% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 43 | 1.1% |
| #5 | New York | | 24 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 23 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 22 | 0.6% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 21 | 0.5% |
Texas share of Elgin's total US births 8.2%
Even split
325 of 3,959 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Elgin appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elgin? ▼
Since 1886, Social Security records show 3,959 babies named Elgin. Today it holds rank #7785 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 69 births.
When was Elgin most popular? ▼
Elgin was most popular in the 1920s decade with 532 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Elgin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elgin are Texas (325 births), California (142 births), Michigan (48 births).
How long has the name Elgin been used? ▼
Records for Elgin go back to 1886, giving 140 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Elgin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elgie, Elgar, Elgene, Elger, and 3 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Elgin's data
- Elgin's decade-level peak was the 1920s (532 total births); usage has since declined to 71 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Elgins (325 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Elgin
Nearby Names Like Elgin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elgin
Elgie Boy
814 births
Elgar Boy
63 births
Elgene Boy
48 births
Elger Boy
28 births
Elgan Boy
12 births
Compare Elgin side by side: Elgin vs Elgie Elgin vs Elgar Elgin vs Elgene
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elgin
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, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elgin: #7785 Boys' Name - 3,959 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elgin. 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 Elgin 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.