Total births
4,471
Unisex name · since 1880
Ely
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,471 babies named Ely, peaking in 2009. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3048
- among boys today
- 4,471
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ely is the #3048 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 4,471 recorded since 1880.
Ely has 4,471 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3048 as of the latest data, more common than 79% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3048 among boys today
- 4,471 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 79% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ely is currently the #3048 unisex name in America, more common than 79% of boys - 4,471 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3048
- among boys today
- 4,471
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Ely vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3048
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 79% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Ely was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
159 babies were named Ely in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Ely compares
4,471 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Ely's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ely | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,471 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 159 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ely's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ely's full recorded timeline at 1958, 84% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 16% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2009 peak of 159 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ely at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#3,048
Active since
1880
Ely popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 159
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ely popularity over time - girls
616 total births recorded since 1918 (Ely as girls' name)
Ely by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Ely's strongest decade.
1,254 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Ely births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 42
1880s
42 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 34
1900s
34 births
- 1910s 187
1910s
187 births
- 1920s 170
1920s
170 births
- 1930s 90
1930s
90 births
- 1940s 84
1940s
84 births
- 1950s 84
1950s
84 births
- 1960s 74
1960s
74 births
- 1970s 224
1970s
224 births
- 1980s 352
1980s
352 births
- 1990s 484
1990s
484 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,254 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,079 births
- 2020s 270
2020s
270 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,254 births (28% of all-time use).
How Ely 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 Ely's total volume
Ely vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ely by state
Where Ely concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 500 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 428 | 9.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 398 | 8.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 98 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 61 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 34 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 24 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 23 | 0.5% |
California share of Ely's total US births 11.2%
Even split
500 of 4,471 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Ely appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ely? ▼
4,471 babies have been named Ely since 1880. It currently ranks #3048 among boys. The peak year was 2009 with 159 births.
When was Ely most popular? ▼
Ely was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,254 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Ely most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ely are California (500 births), Texas (428 births), New York (398 births).
Is Ely a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ely is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,471 births, and as a girl's name it has 616 births.
How long has the name Ely been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ely since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ely? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elyas, Elyjah, Elyon, Elya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ely's data
- Ely's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,254 total births); usage has since declined to 270 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Elys (500 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 Ely
Nearby Names Like Ely
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ely
Elyas Boy
#1228 2,084 births
Elyjah Boy
#2703 1,961 births
Elyon Boy
#1969 414 births
Elya Boy
#6335 404 births
Elyan Boy
#3034 372 births
Compare Ely side by side: Ely vs Elyas Ely vs Elyjah Ely vs Elyon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ely
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. "Ely: #3048 Unisex Name - 4,471 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ely. 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 Ely 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.