Boys' name · since 1911
Elston
Elston has 1,120 recorded births since 1911 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,775 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,758 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,120
- born since 1911
- 1960s
- peak decade
Elston currently ranks #10758 among boys' names in America, with 1,120 babies recorded since 1911.
Social Security Administration records show Elston recorded 1,120 times among boys since 1911, holding rank #10758 nationally today, ahead of 23% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1911 to 2025.
- #4,775 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #10,758 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,120 born since 1911
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elston ranks #4,775 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,758 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,120 born since 1911, peaking in the 1960s.
- #4,775 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,758 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,120
- born since 1911
- 1960s
- peak decade
Elston's 1,120 recorded births place it above 89.49% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Louisiana.
How Elston compares
1,120 Top 30% higher than 70% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Elston's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elston | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,120 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 50 | 34 | 22,252 |
Elston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Elston's full recorded timeline at 1966, 35% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 65% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1911, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 50 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Elston popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1911–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 50
- Annual births at peak, across 115 years of records
Elston popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 2016 (Elston as girls' name)
Elston by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (250 births, 22% of the file).
1960s was Elston's strongest decade.
250 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Elston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
101 births
- 1920s
1920s
140 births
- 1930s 73
1930s
73 births
- 1940s 35
1940s
35 births
- 1950s
1950s
172 births
- 1960s
1960s
250 births
- 1970s 50
1970s
50 births
- 1980s 91
1980s
91 births
- 1990s 56
1990s
56 births
- 2000s 47
2000s
47 births
- 2010s 64
2010s
64 births
- 2020s 41
2020s
41 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 250 births (22% of all-time use).
How Elston 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 Elston's total volume
Elston by state
Where Elston concentrates geographically, total births since 1911
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 21 | 1.9% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 17 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 12 | 1.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #6 | California | | 5 | 0.4% |
21 of 1,120 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elston? ▼
Where does Elston sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elston most popular? ▼
Where is Elston most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elston been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elston? ▼
What to do with Elston's data
- Elston's decade-level peak was the 1960s (250 total births); usage has since declined to 41 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Louisiana records the most Elstons (21 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elston
Nearby Names Like Elston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elston
Compare Elston side by side: Elston vs Elson Elston vs Elsie Elston vs Elsworth
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elston
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elston: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1961)
Similar record span (~114 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, 1911–2025 (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 Elston 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.