Boys' name · since 1880
Elmo
Elmo has 10,091 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,200 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 10,091
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Elmo is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 10,091 have been recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Elmo recorded 10,091 times among boys since 1880, 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 1880 to 2023.
- #1,200 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 10,091 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elmo ranks #1,200 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 10,091 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,200 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 10,091
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Elmo's 10,091 recorded births place it above 97.36% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Elmo's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Elmo splits its recorded history at 1942: 23% of all births land in the more recent half, 77% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2009 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 397 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Elmo popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1920)
- 397
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Elmo popularity over time - girls
247 total births recorded since 1906 (Elmo as girls' name)
Elmo by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,891 births, 29% of the file).
1920s was Elmo's strongest decade.
2,891 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Elmo births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 135
1880s
135 births
- 1890s 191
1890s
191 births
- 1900s 416
1900s
416 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,476 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,891 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,436 births
- 1940s 1,022
1940s
1,022 births
- 1950s 691
1950s
691 births
- 1960s 376
1960s
376 births
- 1970s 202
1970s
202 births
- 1980s 131
1980s
131 births
- 1990s 85
1990s
85 births
- 2000s 23
2000s
23 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,891 births (29% of all-time use).
How Elmo compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Elmo's total volume
Elmo by state
Where Elmo concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,169 | 11.6% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 807 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 457 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 409 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 355 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 331 | 3.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 320 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 297 | 2.9% |
1,169 of 10,091 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Elmo appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elmo? ▼
Where does Elmo sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elmo most popular? ▼
Where is Elmo most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elmo been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elmo? ▼
What to do with Elmo's data
- Elmo's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,891 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Elmos (1,169 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elmo
Nearby Names Like Elmo
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elmo
Compare Elmo side by side: Elmo vs Elmer Elmo vs Elmore Elmo vs Elmon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elmo: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~143 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, 1880–2023 (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 Elmo 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.