Unisex · #6,889 in 2026

Elver

Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.

Current Rank
#6,889
Peak Rank
#4,815 (2003)
Total Babies
299
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #3,561 (49 total)
👦 Boy peak #4,815 (299 total)
👦As Boy Name
1900
First Year
2023
Last Year
2003
Peak Year
#4815
Peak Rank
299
Total Count
38
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1914
First Year
1955
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#3561
Peak Rank
49
Total Count
8
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Elver

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

Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.

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

Etymology
The English name "eel" descends from Old English ǣl , Common Germanic *ēlaz . Also from the common Germanic are West Frisian iel , Dutch aal , German Aal , and Icelandic áll . Katz (1998) identifies a number of Indo-European cognates, among them the second part of the Latin word for eels, anguilla , attested in its simplex form illa (in a glossary only), and the Greek word for "eel", ἔγχελυς enkhelys (the second part of which is attested in Hesychius as elyes ). The first compound member, anguis ("snake"), is cognate to other Indo-European words for "snake" (compare Old Irish escung "eel", Old

The Story of Elver

As a girl name

Elver first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1914, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 8 Elvers were born — ranking #3,561 that year. As of 2026, Elver ranks #5,828 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 49 Elvers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Elver first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1900, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 16 Elvers were born — ranking #4,815 that year. As of 2026, Elver ranks #6,889 for boys with 12 births, with steady use. In total, more than 299 Elvers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Elver

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elver 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 Elver

What does the name Elver mean?
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.
How popular is Elver in 2026?
In 2026, Elver ranks #6,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 12 babies given the name that year.
When was Elver most popular?
Elver reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #4,815 that year with 16 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Elver most popular?
Elver has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elver.
Is Elver a unisex name?
Yes — Elver is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 14% of Elvers assigned female and 86% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Elver?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elver include Bren, Mehul, Jamiah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Elver

Elver is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 299 births in the dataset. Elver's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #4,815. Use the chart and map above to compare Elver'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.