Girls' name · since 1953
Elke
Since 1953, U.S. Social Security records show 1,116 babies named Elke, peaking in 1968. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6,954 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,237 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,116
- born since 1953
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Elke is the #10237 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,116 recorded since 1953.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elke has been recorded 1,116 times among girls since 1953, currently ranked #10237 nationally and more common than 41% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1953 to 2025.
- #6,954 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #10,237 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,116 born since 1953
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elke ranks #6,954 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,237 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,116 born since 1953, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6,954 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,237 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,116
- born since 1953
- 1960s
- peak decade
Elke's 1,116 recorded births place it above 90.37% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Elke compares
1,116 Top 30% higher than 70% of 17,297 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
Elke's all-time total is 197% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elke | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,116 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 77 | 21 | 19,840 |
Elke's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Elke's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 26% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 74%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1953, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1968 peak of 77, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Elke popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1953–2025
- Peak year (1968)
- 77
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Elke by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (354 births, 32% of the file).
1960s was Elke's strongest decade.
354 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Elke births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1960s
1960s
354 births
- 1970s
1970s
339 births
- 1980s 112
1980s
112 births
- 1990s 73
1990s
73 births
- 2000s 98
2000s
98 births
- 2010s 82
2010s
82 births
- 2020s 41
2020s
41 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 354 births (32% of all-time use).
How Elke 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 Elke's total volume
Elke by state
Where Elke concentrates geographically, total births since 1953
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 108 | 9.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 98 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 23 | 2.1% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 12 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 5 | 0.4% |
108 of 1,116 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elke? ▼
Where does Elke sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elke most popular? ▼
Where is Elke most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elke been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elke? ▼
What to do with Elke's data
- Elke's decade-level peak was the 1960s (354 total births); usage has since declined to 41 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Elkes (108 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elke
Nearby Names Like Elke
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elke
Compare Elke side by side: Elke vs Elka Elke vs Elky
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elke
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elke: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1968)
Similar record span (~72 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, 1953–2025 (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 Elke 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.