Elsie
Elsie is a feminine given name, a diminutive form of Elspeth, a Scottish version of Elizabeth. It has been in use in the Anglosphere as an independent name since the 1800s. The name has increased in usage in English-speaking countries in recent years.
- English
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Elsie
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elsie is a feminine given name, a diminutive form of Elspeth, a Scottish version of Elizabeth. It has been in use in the Anglosphere as an independent name since the 1800s. The name has increased in usage in English-speaking countries in recent years.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Swedish
The Story of Elsie
Elsie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 301 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1918: 5,194 births, good for #49 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Elsies. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #148 among baby girl names with 2,037 births, rising sharply (+49% over the past five years). In total, more than 192K Elsies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Elsie
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elsie. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Elsie
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elsie 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 Elsie
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About the name Elsie
Elsie is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 192K births in the dataset. Elsie's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #31. Use the chart and map above to compare Elsie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- 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.