Total births
31,697
Girls' name · since 1880
Elva
31,697 babies named Elva in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3639
- among girls today
- 31,697
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Elva currently ranks #3639 among girls' names in America, with 31,697 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Elva recorded 31,697 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #3639 nationally today, ahead of 79% of girls, 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.
- #3639 among girls today
- 31,697 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elva is currently the #3639 girls' name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 31,697 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3639
- among girls today
- 31,697
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Elva vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3639
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Elva was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
789 babies were named Elva in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Elva compares
31,697 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Elva's all-time total is 83x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elva | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 31,697 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 789 | 48 | 19,840 |
Elva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Elva's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 21% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 79%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2011, with only 34 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 789, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Elva at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#3,639
Active since
1880
Elva popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 789
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Elva popularity over time - boys
817 total births recorded since 1882 (Elva as boys' name)
Elva by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Elva's strongest decade.
6,314 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Elva births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 903
1880s
903 births
- 1890s 1,900
1890s
1,900 births
- 1900s
1900s
2,677 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,052 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,314 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,794 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,698 births
- 1950s 2,282
1950s
2,282 births
- 1960s 1,508
1960s
1,508 births
- 1970s 988
1970s
988 births
- 1980s 754
1980s
754 births
- 1990s 652
1990s
652 births
- 2000s 472
2000s
472 births
- 2010s 461
2010s
461 births
- 2020s 242
2020s
242 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6,314 births (20% of all-time use).
How Elva 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 Elva's total volume
Elva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Elva by state
Where Elva concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,283 | 13.5% |
| #2 | California | | 2,361 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 2,263 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 822 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 812 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 725 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 703 | 2.2% |
| #8 | New York | | 702 | 2.2% |
Texas share of Elva's total US births 13.5%
Even split
4,283 of 31,697 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Elva appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elva? ▼
Elva has been given to 31,697 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3639 as of the latest data. 789 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Elva most popular? ▼
Elva was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6,314 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Elva most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elva are Texas (4,283 births), California (2,361 births), Pennsylvania (2,263 births).
How long has the name Elva been used? ▼
Elva has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Elva? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elvira, Elvia, Elvera, Elvie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Elva's data
- Elva's decade-level peak was the 1920s (6,314 total births); usage has since declined to 242 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Elvas (4,283 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 Elva
Nearby Names Like Elva
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elva
Elvira Girl
#2248 27,234 births
Elvia Girl
#3577 7,680 births
Elvera Girl
5,200 births
Elvie Girl
#4209 2,704 births
Elvina Girl
#8960 2,605 births
Compare Elva side by side: Elva vs Elvira Elva vs Elvia Elva vs Elvera
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elva
Ezlynn #3638
375 births · Peak 2021
Delphine #3640
10,448 births · Peak 1958
Oakland #3637
292 births · Peak 2025
Candace #3641
84,938 births · Peak 1982
Novalyn #3636
340 births · Peak 2021
Justina #3642
12,240 births · Peak 1990
Lyanni #3635
55 births · Peak 2024
Bethel #3643
5,221 births · Peak 1922
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. "Elva: #3639 Girls' Name - 31,697 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elva. 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 Elva 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.