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.
- #105 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #29 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 351,313
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Ella is the #29 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 #29 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.
- #105 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #29 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 351,313 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ella ranks #105 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #29 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 351,313 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #105 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #29 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 351,313
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Ella's 351,313 recorded births place it above 99.85% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Ella compares
351,313 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Ella's all-time total is 934x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ella | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 351,313 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 9,884 | 21 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (85,922 births, 24% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Ella sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ella most popular? ▼
Where is Ella most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ella been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ella? ▼
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
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
Compare Ella side by side: Ella vs Ellen Ella vs Ellie Ella vs Elliana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ella
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ella: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2010)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 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 August 2026.