Boy · #2,335 in 2026

Elder

Name: Popularity of the name Elder in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Elder, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Elder or Élder is a masculine given name which may refer to:Élder (footballer), Brazilian former footballer Élder Alencar Machado de Campos Elder José Figueroa, Colombian-born Salvadorian footballer Elder Filipe, Namibian politician Élder Granja, Brazilian footballer Elder Herrera, Colombian retired road cyclist Elder Jordan, African-American businessman, philanthropist, and namesake to a…

Portuguese

Current Rank

#2,335

Peak Rank

#548 (2026)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+34%

1915

First Year

1942

Last Year

1924

Peak Year

#3144

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Elder

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Portuguese

The Story of Elder

The earliest SSA record of Elder as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 8 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 61 newborns named Elder — #2,335 in the national rankings. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,335 among baby boy names with 61 births, rising sharply (+34% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Elders have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Elder

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elder. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Hélder
Helder

Names that sound like Elder

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elder is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Eldor
Eldr
Elter
Older
Alder
Aulder
Elders
Welder
Eller
Eder
Elda
Edder

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elder

What does the name Elder mean?

What is the origin of the name Elder?

Elder has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Portuguese.

How popular is Elder in 2026?

In 2026, Elder ranks #2,335 among boys' names in the U.S., with 61 babies given the name that year.

When was Elder most popular?

Elder reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #548 that year with 61 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Elder most popular?

Elder has historically been most popular in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elder.

Is Elder a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Elder is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Elder?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elder include Chosen, Ignatius, Oswaldo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Elder?

Common variants and related forms of Elder include Hélder, Helder. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Elder

Elder is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Elder's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #548. Use the chart and map above to compare Elder's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.