Total births
176
Boys' name · since 1915
Elman
176 babies named Elman in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 176
- total births
- 1915–2012
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 56%
- born in that decade
Elman is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 176 have been recorded since 1915.
Elman has 176 recorded births among boys since 1915, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2012.
- 176 total births
- 1915–2012 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 56% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
176 boys have been named Elman since 1915, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2012.
- 176
- total births
- 1915–2012
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 56%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
56% of everyone ever named Elman was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
17 babies were named Elman in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
Elman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Elman splits its recorded history at 1924: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1929 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 17 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Elman at a glance
Last recorded 2012Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1915
Elman popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2012
- Peak year (1920)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 98 years of records
Elman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Elman's strongest decade.
98 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Elman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
49 births
- 1920s
1920s
98 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 98 births (56% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elman? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 176 babies named Elman. The most recent recorded year was 2012. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 17 births.
When was Elman most popular? ▼
Elman was most popular in the 1920s decade with 98 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
How long has the name Elman been used? ▼
Records for Elman go back to 1915, giving 98 years of history through 2012.
What names are similar to Elman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elmer, Elmo, Elmore, Elmon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Elman's data
- Elman's decade-level peak was the 1920s (98 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Elman
Nearby Names Like Elman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elman
Elmer Boy
#1155 129,591 births
Elmo Boy
10,091 births
Elmore Boy
3,957 births
Elmon Boy
591 births
Elma Boy
483 births
Compare Elman side by side: Elman vs Elmer Elman vs Elmo Elman vs Elmore
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1915–2012 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elman: Baby Name Since 1915 - 176 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elman. 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 Elman 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 July 2026.