Unisex name · since 1882

Ell

144 babies named Ell in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#15,012 of 45,481
all-time among boys
144
born since 1882
1920s
peak decade

Ell sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 144 recorded since 1882.

Social Security Administration records show Ell recorded 144 times among boys since 1882, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 1948.

  • #15,012 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 144 born since 1882
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ell ranks #15,012 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 144 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.

#15,012 of 45,481
all-time among boys
144
born since 1882
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Ell's 144 recorded births place it above 66.92% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Ell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Ell splits its recorded history at 1923: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Ell popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–1948

Last recorded 1948
Peak year (1920)
10
Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
4681012 18821915191819211924193019431948 6

Ell popularity over time - girls

10 total births recorded since 1916 (Ell as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 10 births
5 19161922 5

Ell by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (56 births, 39% of the file).

1920s was Ell's strongest decade.

56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.

Ell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 56 births (39% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Ell? ▼
Ell has been given to 144 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #15,012 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1948. 10 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
Where does Ell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ell ranks #15,012 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Ell most popular? ▼
Ell was most popular in the 1920s decade with 56 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Is Ell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ell is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 144 births, and as a girl's name it has 10 births.
How long has the name Ell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ell since 1882 -- 67 years through the most recent 1948 data.
What names are similar to Ell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elliott, Elliot, Ellis, Ellsworth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Ell's data

  • Ell's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (56 total births) through the 1940s (22) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Ell

Nearby Names Like Ell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ell

Elliott Boy
#160 62,551 births
Elliot Boy
#151 58,592 births
Ellis Boy
#243 50,403 births
Ellsworth Boy
7,337 births
Ellison Boy
#1677 2,963 births

Compare Ell side by side: Ell vs Elliott Ell vs Elliot Ell vs Ellis

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Zigmond
144 births · Peak 1919
Zannie
144 births · Peak 1940
Winfrey
144 births · Peak 1932
Parvin
144 births · Peak 1918
Joeph
144 births · Peak 1986
Nial
144 births · Peak 2024
Willi
144 births · Peak 1958
Alfonsa
144 births · Peak 1947

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Ell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1882–1948 (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 Ell 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.