Total births
21,353
Boys' name · since 1880
Elton
21,353 babies named Elton in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2079
- among boys today
- 21,353
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Elton is the #2079 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 21,353 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Elton recorded 21,353 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #2079 nationally today, ahead of 85% of boys, 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 2025.
- #2079 among boys today
- 21,353 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elton is currently the #2079 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 21,353 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2079
- among boys today
- 21,353
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Elton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2079
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Elton was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
394 babies were named Elton in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Elton compares
21,353 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 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
Elton's all-time total is 58x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,353 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 394 | 23 | 22,252 |
Elton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Elton's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 394, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Elton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#2,079
Active since
1880
Elton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 394
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Elton popularity over time - girls
200 total births recorded since 1903 (Elton as girls' name)
Elton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Elton's strongest decade.
3,535 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Elton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 129
1880s
129 births
- 1890s 176
1890s
176 births
- 1900s 368
1900s
368 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,242 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,535 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,715 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,321 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,724 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,630 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,844 births
- 1980s 1,077
1980s
1,077 births
- 1990s 808
1990s
808 births
- 2000s 694
2000s
694 births
- 2010s 608
2010s
608 births
- 2020s 482
2020s
482 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,535 births (17% of all-time use).
How Elton 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 Elton's total volume
Elton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Elton by state
Where Elton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,541 | 11.9% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 1,710 | 8.0% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,115 | 5.2% |
| #4 | California | | 1,071 | 5.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 897 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 777 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 710 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 622 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Elton's total US births 11.9%
Even split
2,541 of 21,353 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Elton appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elton? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 21,353 babies named Elton. Today it holds rank #2079 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 394 births.
When was Elton most popular? ▼
Elton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,535 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Elton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elton are Texas (2,541 births), Louisiana (1,710 births), North Carolina (1,115 births).
How long has the name Elton been used? ▼
Records for Elton go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Elton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elthan. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Elton's data
- Elton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,535 total births); usage has since declined to 482 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Eltons (2,541 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Elton
Nearby Names Like Elton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elton
Compare Elton side by side: Elton vs Elthan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elton
Henderson #2078
4,293 births · Peak 1918
Jhon #2080
2,939 births · Peak 2024
Ezran #2077
373 births · Peak 2024
Duane #2081
115,442 births · Peak 1959
Zyir #2076
811 births · Peak 2024
Sloan #2082
2,883 births · Peak 2021
Aariz #2075
1,227 births · Peak 2022
Johnathon #2083
25,600 births · Peak 1990
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elton: #2079 Boys' Name - 21,353 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elton. 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 Elton 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.