Total births
351,313
Girls' name · since 1880
Ella
351,313 babies named Ella in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2010. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #30
- among girls today
- 351,313
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ella is the #30 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 351,313 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Ella recorded 351,313 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #30 nationally today, ahead of 99.8% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #30 among girls today
- 351,313 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ella is currently the #30 girls' name in America, more common than 99.8% of girls - 351,313 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #30
- among girls today
- 351,313
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Ella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#30
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Ella was born in this single decade.
2010
Single peak year
9,884 babies were named Ella in 2010 - its busiest year on record.
How Ella compares
351,313 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Ella's all-time total is 920x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 351,313 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 9,884 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ella's full recorded timeline at 1953, 60% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 40% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1986, with just 128 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2010 peak of 9,884 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ella at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2010
Current rank
#30
Active since
1880
Ella popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2010)
- 9,884
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ella popularity over time - boys
901 total births recorded since 1883 (Ella as boys' name)
Ella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ella's strongest decade.
85,922 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Ella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13,936
1880s
13,936 births
- 1890s 17,072
1890s
17,072 births
- 1900s 14,763
1900s
14,763 births
- 1910s 24,913
1910s
24,913 births
- 1920s 29,521
1920s
29,521 births
- 1930s 19,962
1930s
19,962 births
- 1940s 15,977
1940s
15,977 births
- 1950s 11,038
1950s
11,038 births
- 1960s 5,176
1960s
5,176 births
- 1970s 2,096
1970s
2,096 births
- 1980s 1,576
1980s
1,576 births
- 1990s 3,897
1990s
3,897 births
- 2000s
2000s
67,544 births
- 2010s
2010s
85,922 births
- 2020s
2020s
37,920 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 85,922 births (24% of all-time use).
How Ella 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 Ella's total volume
Ella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ella by state
Where Ella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 20,770 | 5.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 20,303 | 5.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 15,695 | 4.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 13,784 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 13,607 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 12,528 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Florida | | 11,834 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 11,665 | 3.3% |
California share of Ella's total US births 5.9%
Even split
20,770 of 351,313 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ella appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ella? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 351,313 babies named Ella. Today it holds rank #30 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2010, with 9,884 births.
When was Ella most popular? ▼
Ella was most popular in the 2010s decade with 85,922 total births. The single peak year was 2010.
Where is Ella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ella are California (20,770 births), Texas (20,303 births), New York (15,695 births).
How long has the name Ella been used? ▼
Ella has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ellen, Ellie, Elliana, Elle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ella's data
- Ella's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (85,922 total births) through the 2020s (37,920) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ellas (20,770 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 Ella
Nearby Names Like Ella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ella
Ellen Girl
#1025 275,284 births
Ellie Girl
#21 105,677 births
Elliana Girl
#141 28,058 births
Elle Girl
#480 19,247 births
Elliott Girl
#612 8,168 births
Compare Ella side by side: Ella vs Ellen Ella vs Ellie Ella vs Elliana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ella
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. "Ella: #30 Girls' Name - 351,313 Births, Peak 2010." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ella. 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 Ella 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.