Else
Else is a feminine given name, appearing in German, Danish and Norwegian. It is a shortened form of Elisabeth.
Meaning & Origin of Else
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Else is a feminine given name, appearing in German, Danish and Norwegian. It is a shortened form of Elisabeth.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Else
Else first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1932, when 14 Elses were born — ranking #2,235 that year. As of 2026, Else ranks #15,082 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 514 Elses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Else
Phonetically similar names — useful when Else 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 Else
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About the name Else
Else is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 514 births in the dataset. Else's peak popularity came in 1932 when it ranked #2,235. Use the chart and map above to compare Else's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1932 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.