Total births
514
Girls' name · since 1884
Else
Since 1884, U.S. Social Security records show 514 babies named Else, peaking in 1932. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 514
- total births
- 1884–2020
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
Else sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 514 recorded since 1884.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Else has been recorded 514 times among girls since 1884, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2020.
- 514 total births
- 1884–2020 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 16% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
514 girls have been named Else since 1884, peaking in the 1930s, last recorded in 2020.
- 514
- total births
- 1884–2020
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
1930s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Else was born in this single decade.
1932
Single peak year
14 babies were named Else in 1932 - its busiest year on record.
Else's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Else's SSA record in two at 1932 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1884, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1932 peak of 14, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Else at a glance
Last recorded 2020Peak year
1932
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1884
Else popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2020
- Peak year (1932)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 137 years of records
Else by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Else's strongest decade.
83 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Else births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s
1890s
65 births
- 1900s 24
1900s
24 births
- 1910s
1910s
59 births
- 1920s
1920s
78 births
- 1930s
1930s
83 births
- 1940s 13
1940s
13 births
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1990s 14
1990s
14 births
- 2000s
2000s
67 births
- 2010s
2010s
52 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 83 births (16% of all-time use).
How Else 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 Else's total volume
Else vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Else by state
Where Else concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 13 | 2.5% |
New York share of Else's total US births 2.5%
13 of 514 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Else? ▼
514 babies have been named Else since 1884. It was last recorded in 2020. The peak year was 1932 with 14 births.
When was Else most popular? ▼
Else was most popular in the 1930s decade with 83 total births. The single peak year was 1932.
Where is Else most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Else are New York (13 births).
How long has the name Else been used? ▼
Else has been recorded in Social Security data since 1884, spanning 137 years of data through 2020.
What names are similar to Else? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elsie, Elsa, Elsy, Elspeth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Else's data
- Else's decade-level peak was the 1930s (83 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Elses (13 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Else
Nearby Names Like Else
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Else
Elsie Girl
#155 190,072 births
Elsa Girl
#938 30,710 births
Elsy Girl
#2210 1,832 births
Elspeth Girl
#6193 919 births
Elsbeth Girl
#15388 752 births
Compare Else side by side: Else vs Elsie Else vs Elsa Else vs Elsy
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1884–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Else: Baby Name Since 1884 - 514 Births, Peak 1932." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/else. 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 Else 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.