Ely
Ely is a given name which may refer to:Ely Allen, American former soccer player Ely do Amparo (1921-1991), Brazilian footballer Eleandre Ely Buendia, Filipino musician, writer and director, songwriter and lead vocalist of the rock band Eraserheads Ely Callaway Jr.
Meaning & Origin of Ely
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ely is a given name which may refer to:Ely Allen, American former soccer player Ely do Amparo (1921-1991), Brazilian footballer Eleandre Ely Buendia, Filipino musician, writer and director, songwriter and lead vocalist of the rock band Eraserheads Ely Callaway Jr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ely
As a girl name
Ely first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1918, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 33 Elys were born — ranking #4,267 that year. As of 2026, Ely ranks #4,267 for girls with 33 births, rising sharply (+27% over the past five years). In total, more than 665 Elys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ely first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 159 Elys were born — ranking #1,148 that year. As of 2026, Ely ranks #3,121 for boys with 39 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 5K Elys 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 Ely
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ely 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 Ely
What does the name Ely mean?
How popular is Ely in 2026?
When was Ely most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ely most popular?
Is Ely a unisex name?
What names go well with Ely?
About the name Ely
Ely is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Ely's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #540. Use the chart and map above to compare Ely's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2009 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.