Total births
15,668
Unisex name · since 1880
Elisha
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 15,668 babies named Elisha, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #846
- among boys today
- 15,668
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Elisha is the #846 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 15,668 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Elisha recorded 15,668 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #846 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #846 among boys today
- 15,668 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elisha is currently the #846 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 15,668 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #846
- among boys today
- 15,668
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Elisha vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#846
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Elisha was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
392 babies were named Elisha in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Elisha compares
15,668 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Elisha's all-time total is 43x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elisha | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,668 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 392 | 23 | 22,252 |
Elisha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Elisha splits its recorded history at 1953: 79% of all births land in the more recent half, 21% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1908 (11 births) -- compare that against the 2008 peak of 392 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Elisha at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2008
Current rank
#846
Active since
1880
Elisha popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 392
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Elisha popularity over time - girls
14,366 total births recorded since 1914 (Elisha as girls' name)
Elisha by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Elisha's strongest decade.
3,461 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Elisha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 336
1880s
336 births
- 1890s 256
1890s
256 births
- 1900s 216
1900s
216 births
- 1910s 549
1910s
549 births
- 1920s 780
1920s
780 births
- 1930s 538
1930s
538 births
- 1940s 472
1940s
472 births
- 1950s 401
1950s
401 births
- 1960s 262
1960s
262 births
- 1970s 601
1970s
601 births
- 1980s 994
1980s
994 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,920 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,461 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,151 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,731 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 3,461 births (22% of all-time use).
How Elisha 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 Elisha's total volume
Elisha vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Elisha by state
Where Elisha concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,089 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 968 | 6.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 795 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 754 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 738 | 4.7% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 612 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 418 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 391 | 2.5% |
California share of Elisha's total US births 7.0%
Even split
1,089 of 15,668 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Elisha appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elisha? ▼
15,668 babies have been named Elisha since 1880. It currently ranks #846 among boys. The peak year was 2008 with 392 births.
When was Elisha most popular? ▼
Elisha was most popular in the 2000s decade with 3,461 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Elisha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elisha are California (1,089 births), Texas (968 births), New York (795 births).
Is Elisha a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Elisha is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 15,668 births, and as a girl's name it has 14,366 births.
How long has the name Elisha been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Elisha since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Elisha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elijah, Eli, Elias, Elian, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Elisha's data
- Elisha's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (3,461 total births) through the 2020s (1,731) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Elishas (1,089 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Elisha
Nearby Names Like Elisha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elisha
Elijah Boy
#8 380,611 births
Eli Boy
#92 153,495 births
Elias Boy
#25 129,263 births
Elian Boy
#237 15,268 births
Eliseo Boy
#629 11,996 births
Compare Elisha side by side: Elisha vs Elijah Elisha vs Eli Elisha vs Elias
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elisha
Keaton #845
22,087 births · Peak 2007
Issac #847
24,554 births · Peak 2008
Everest #844
3,058 births · Peak 2025
Douglas #848
560,013 births · Peak 1957
Orlando #843
49,454 births · Peak 1987
Jimmy #849
288,737 births · Peak 1947
Avi #842
6,087 births · Peak 2022
Jagger #850
8,238 births · Peak 2012
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. "Elisha: #846 Unisex Name - 15,668 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elisha. 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 Elisha 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.