Elsie
Girl name · #123 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Elsie? In official American birth records, Elsie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 2,236 baby girls were named Elsie, placing it at #123 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #386, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 805 girls born in 2025 was named Elsie.
The 145-year story
Elsie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 301 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 5,194 girls were named Elsie — good for #49 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Elsie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elsie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elsie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elsie is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Elsie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elsie is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Elsie is most common in ND (8.5 per 1,000), SD (6.2 per 1,000), ID (5.7 per 1,000), MT (4.6 per 1,000), IA (4.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Elsie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Elsie
Statistically, parents drawn to Elsie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rosie, Hattie, June, Esther, and Annie.
RosieHattieJuneEstherAnnieAliceRosalieMabel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elsie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,236 | #123 |
| 2024 | 1,910 | #155 |
| 2023 | 1,757 | #163 |
| 2022 | 1,563 | #189 |
| 2021 | 1,345 | #222 |
| 2020 | 1,270 | #233 |
| 2019 | 1,288 | #249 |
| 2018 | 1,192 | #278 |
| 2017 | 1,092 | #298 |
| 2016 | 981 | #340 |
| 2015 | 848 | #386 |
| 2014 | 1,005 | #334 |
| 2013 | 857 | #365 |
| 2012 | 788 | #393 |
| 2011 | 621 | #479 |
| 2010 | 462 | #637 |
| 2009 | 428 | #680 |
| 2008 | 405 | #739 |
| 2007 | 317 | #882 |
| 2006 | 308 | #864 |
| 2005 | 271 | #917 |
| 2004 | 211 | #1086 |
| 2003 | 182 | #1180 |
| 2002 | 176 | #1165 |
| 2001 | 152 | #1285 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Elsie?
In official American birth records, the name Elsie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 301 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Elsie a popular girl name?
Elsie ranked #123 among girls in 2025 with 2,236 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #386.
When was the name Elsie most popular?
Elsie peaked in 1918, when 5,194 American girls received the name (ranked #49 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Elsie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 805 newborn American girls was named Elsie. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.