Holding steady.
Popularity of El since 1915
Babies named El per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2000, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, El's real moment was 1915.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0 | 21 |
| 1920s | 7 | 30 |
| 1930s | 21 | 27 |
| 1940s | 10 | 15 |
| 1950s | 0 | 7 |
| 1960s | 0 | 16 |
| 1970s | 0 | 40 |
| 1980s | 0 | 16 |
| 1990s | 0 | 33 |
| 2000s | 0 | 36 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 5 |
Meaning & origin
El is a name with a dual identity: a straightforward shortening of classic names like Elmer and Elwin, and a direct borrowing of the Hebrew word for God. In U.S. Social Security records, El first appeared in 1915, its peak year, but has never been common. Its trajectory has been stable over the decades, with no surge in popularity. The name's brevity and strong sound give it a modern appeal, yet its historical use as a nickname keeps it grounded in traditional naming patterns. Without any top states where it is especially concentrated, El remains a truly rare choice.
El is primarily an English shortened form of various names starting with El, such as Elmer, Elwin, and Eleanor. It coincides with the Hebrew word אל (El), meaning 'God' or 'mighty one', used as a divine name in the Bible. However, as a given name in modern English usage, it rarely carries this theological weight and is typically a nickname or standalone diminutive. Its use as a recorded given name dates to at least 1915 in U.S. data, where it has remained consistently rare.
“El” around the world
Where El lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
70
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for El
Names that share El's style, for a brother or sister.
