Elan
The Story of Elan
As a girl name
Elan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1969, with 19 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1984: 41 births, good for #2,340 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Elans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 793 Elans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Elan on the record books as a boy name in 1963, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 136 Elans were born — ranking #1,264 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Elans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,699 among boy names with 48 births, falling sharply (-45%). In total, more than 4K Elans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Elan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elan 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 Elan
What does the name Elan mean?
How popular is Elan in 2026?
When was Elan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Elan most popular?
Is Elan a unisex name?
What names go well with Elan?
About the name Elan
Elan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1963 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Elan's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #1,264. Use the chart and map above to compare Elan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.