Boys' name · since 1882
Elwin
5,176 babies named Elwin in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1923. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,744 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,862 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,176
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Elwin is the #4862 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,176 recorded since 1882.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elwin has been recorded 5,176 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #4862 nationally and more common than 65% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1,744 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,862 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 5,176 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elwin ranks #1,744 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,862 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,176 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,744 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,862 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,176
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
Elwin's 5,176 recorded births place it above 96.16% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
24 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Elwin compares
5,176 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Elwin's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elwin | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,176 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 147 | 34 | 22,252 |
Elwin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Elwin's full recorded timeline at 1955, 21% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 79% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 147 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Elwin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1923)
- 147
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Elwin popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1926 (Elwin as girls' name)
Elwin by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,316 births, 25% of the file).
1920s was Elwin's strongest decade.
1,316 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Elwin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 41
1880s
41 births
- 1890s 65
1890s
65 births
- 1900s 107
1900s
107 births
- 1910s
1910s
830 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,316 births
- 1930s
1930s
820 births
- 1940s
1940s
603 births
- 1950s 483
1950s
483 births
- 1960s 224
1960s
224 births
- 1970s 127
1970s
127 births
- 1980s 113
1980s
113 births
- 1990s 128
1990s
128 births
- 2000s 123
2000s
123 births
- 2010s 108
2010s
108 births
- 2020s 88
2020s
88 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,316 births (25% of all-time use).
How Elwin 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 Elwin's total volume
Elwin by state
Where Elwin concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 311 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 298 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Nebraska | | 122 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 117 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Maine | | 109 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 101 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Vermont | | 100 | 1.9% |
| #8 | California | | 92 | 1.8% |
311 of 5,176 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Elwin appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elwin? ▼
Where does Elwin sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elwin most popular? ▼
Where is Elwin most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elwin been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elwin? ▼
What to do with Elwin's data
- Elwin's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,316 total births); usage has since declined to 88 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Elwins (311 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elwin
Nearby Names Like Elwin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elwin
Compare Elwin side by side: Elwin vs Elwood Elwin vs Elwyn Elwin vs Elward
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elwin
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elwin: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~143 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, 1882–2025 (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 Elwin 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.