Total births
919
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.
- #6193
- among girls today
- 919
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
Elspeth currently ranks #6193 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 #6193 nationally and more common than 65% 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.
- #6193 among girls today
- 919 born since 1914
- 1980s peak decade
- 65% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elspeth is currently the #6193 girls' name in America, more common than 65% of girls - 919 born since 1914, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6193
- among girls today
- 919
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 65%
- more common than other girls
Elspeth vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6193
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 65% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Elspeth was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
39 babies were named Elspeth in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
How Elspeth compares
919 Top 33% higher than 67% of 17,726 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 141% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elspeth | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 919 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1984
Current rank
#6,193
Active since
1914
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Elspeth's total US births 1.4%
Even split
13 of 919 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elspeth? ▼
919 babies have been named Elspeth since 1914. It currently ranks #6193 among girls. The peak year was 1984 with 39 births.
When was Elspeth most popular? ▼
Elspeth was most popular in the 1980s decade with 240 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Elspeth most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elspeth are California (13 births), Massachusetts (6 births), Illinois (5 births).
How long has the name Elspeth been used? ▼
Elspeth has been recorded in Social Security data since 1914, spanning 112 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Elspeth? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elsie, Elsa, Elsy, Elsbeth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Elspeth
Nearby Names Like Elspeth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elspeth
Elsie Girl
#155 190,072 births
Elsa Girl
#938 30,710 births
Elsy Girl
#2210 1,832 births
Elsbeth Girl
#15388 752 births
Else Girl
514 births
Compare Elspeth side by side: Elspeth vs Elsie Elspeth vs Elsa Elspeth vs Elsy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elspeth
Davis #6192
1,038 births · Peak 2022
Marlyn #6194
6,806 births · Peak 1936
Sammy #6191
1,758 births · Peak 1936
Jaquelin #6195
3,851 births · Peak 2000
Fletcher #6190
225 births · Peak 2024
Maddalena #6196
881 births · Peak 2015
Rudy #6189
1,174 births · Peak 2025
Manuella #6197
642 births · Peak 2019
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elspeth: #6193 Girls' Name - 919 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elspeth. 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 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 June 2026.