Girl · #1,432 in 2026

Elinor

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

Current Rank

#1,432

Peak Rank

#252 (1920)

Total Babies

22K

5-Yr Trend

-1%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1920

Peak Year

#252

Peak Rank

22K

Total Count

147

Years Active

The Story of Elinor

Elinor first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 656 Elinors were born — ranking #257 that year. As of 2026, Elinor ranks #1,432 for baby girls with 154 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 22K Elinors 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

Names that sound like Elinor

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

Elenor
Elenore
Ellinor
Eleanor
Ellinger
Elin
Eleni
Elanor
Ellyn
Aligner
Elsner
Eyeliner

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elinor

What does the name Elinor mean?

Elinor is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Elinor in 2026?

In 2026, Elinor ranks #1,432 among girls' names in the U.S., with 154 babies given the name that year.

When was Elinor most popular?

Elinor reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #252 that year with 656 babies given the name.

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

Elinor has historically been most popular in New Hampshire, Vermont, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elinor.

Is Elinor a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Elinor?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elinor include Malinda, Arline, Cathleen. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Elinor

Elinor is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 22K births in the dataset. Elinor's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #252. Use the chart and map above to compare Elinor'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.