Girls' name · since 1914
Elspeth
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 919 babies named Elspeth, peaking in 1984. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7,969 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #7,520 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 919
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
Elspeth currently ranks #7520 among girls' names in America, with 919 babies recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elspeth has been recorded 919 times among girls since 1914, currently ranked #7520 nationally and more common than 57% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #7,969 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #7,520 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 919 born since 1914
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elspeth ranks #7,969 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,520 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 919 born since 1914, peaking in the 1980s.
- #7,969 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #7,520 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 919
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
Elspeth's 919 recorded births place it above 88.97% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Elspeth compares
919 Top 34% higher than 66% 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
Elspeth's all-time total is 144% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elspeth | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 919 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 21 | 19,840 |
Elspeth's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Elspeth's full recorded timeline at 1989, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1914, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1984 peak of 39 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Elspeth popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Elspeth by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (240 births, 26% of the file).
1980s was Elspeth's strongest decade.
240 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Elspeth births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 16
1910s
16 births
- 1920s 25
1920s
25 births
- 1930s 18
1930s
18 births
- 1940s 27
1940s
27 births
- 1950s 33
1950s
33 births
- 1960s 26
1960s
26 births
- 1970s 36
1970s
36 births
- 1980s
1980s
240 births
- 1990s
1990s
105 births
- 2000s
2000s
125 births
- 2010s
2010s
164 births
- 2020s
2020s
104 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 240 births (26% of all-time use).
How Elspeth 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 Elspeth's total volume
Elspeth by state
Where Elspeth concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 13 | 1.4% |
| #2 | Massachusetts | | 6 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.5% |
13 of 919 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Elspeth's data
- Elspeth's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (240 total births) through the 2020s (104) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Elspeths (13 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 Elspeth
Nearby Names Like Elspeth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elspeth
Compare Elspeth side by side: Elspeth vs Elsie Elspeth vs Elsa Elspeth vs Elsy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elspeth
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elspeth: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1984)
Similar record span (~111 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, 1914–2025 (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 Elspeth 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.