El
The Story of El
As a girl name
El first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1928, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1928, when 7 Els were born — ranking #3,743 that year. As of 2026, El ranks #5,295 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 38 Els have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
El first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 11 Els were born — ranking #5,920 that year. As of 2026, El ranks #12,230 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 246 Els have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like El
Phonetically similar names — useful when El is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about El
What does the name El mean?
How popular is El in 2026?
When was El most popular?
In which U.S. states is El most popular?
Is El a unisex name?
What names go well with El?
About the name El
El is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 246 births in the dataset. El's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #5,920. Use the chart and map above to compare El's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.