Unisex · #6,263 in 2026

Estel

Estel was a steel company formed by the merging of Koninklijke Hoogovens IJmuiden steel plant and Hoesch's main steel plant in Dortmund. The company existed from 1972 to 1982 until de-merged.

Current Rank
#6,263
Peak Rank
#692 (1921)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #1,581 (467 total)
👦 Boy peak #692 (2K total)
👦As Boy Name
1893
First Year
1981
Last Year
1921
Peak Year
#692
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
83
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1898
First Year
2023
Last Year
1916
Peak Year
#1581
Peak Rank
467
Total Count
48
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Estel

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

Estel was a steel company formed by the merging of Koninklijke Hoogovens IJmuiden steel plant and Hoesch's main steel plant in Dortmund. The company existed from 1972 to 1982 until de-merged.

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

Origin & history
In 1966 the board of Koninklijke Hoogovens voted in favour of merging their IJmuiden steelworks with the Dortmund plant of German steelmaker Hoesch ; Hoesch would benefit from the IJmuiden steelwork's port, and Koninklijke Hoogovens' 43% shareholding in the Dortmund-Hörder Hüttenunion (DHHU) was converted into a 15% shareholding in Hoesch with Hoesch acquiring DHUU. The two firms made agreements on division of work between the plants – IJmuiden was to concentrate on pig iron, crude steel, and semi-manufactured products, whilst Hoesch's Dortmund plant was to produce finished steels and manufact

The Story of Estel

As a girl name

Estel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1898, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 23 Estels were born — ranking #1,581 that year. As of 2026, Estel ranks #12,180 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 467 Estels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Estel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1893, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 87 Estels were born — ranking #692 that year. As of 2026, Estel ranks #6,263 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Estels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s 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 Estel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Estel 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 Estel

What does the name Estel mean?
Estel was a steel company formed by the merging of Koninklijke Hoogovens IJmuiden steel plant and Hoesch's main steel plant in Dortmund. The company existed from 1972 to 1982 until de-merged.
How popular is Estel in 2026?
In 2026, Estel ranks #6,263 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Estel most popular?
Estel reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #692 that year with 87 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Estel most popular?
Estel has historically been most popular in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Estel.
Is Estel a unisex name?
Yes — Estel is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 16% of Estels assigned female and 84% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Estel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Estel include Ellwood, Leighton, Tyrek. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Estel

Estel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1893 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Estel's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #692. Use the chart and map above to compare Estel'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.