NameTides

Elma

Elma was the #4,352 girls' name in the US in 2025 (32 babies), and #1,079 in England & Wales and #3,044 in Canada.

Elma as a girl’s name

  • US
  • England & Wales
  • Scotland
  • Ireland
  • Canada
Elma as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020ScotlandEngland & WalesCanadaUS
Elma as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.250.50.7511880192019602000
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex in each published list. Breaks in a line are years with too few babies to be published.
Show the numbers
YearUSEngland & WalesScotlandIrelandCanada
2025#4,352 (32)#1,079 (31)#780 (3)—#3,044 (6)
2024#4,560 (30)#1,406 (23)——#1,949 (11)
2023#5,390 (23)#1,525 (20)———
2022#5,172 (25)#2,488 (10)——#2,315 (8)
2021#4,326 (32)#2,341 (11)———
2020#6,325 (18)#1,773 (16)——#2,163 (9)
2019#4,909 (27)#2,286 (11)——#3,266 (5)
2018#4,357 (32)#2,187 (12)———
2017#4,384 (32)#2,341 (11)——#3,307 (5)
2016#4,990 (27)#3,609 (6)——#2,383 (8)
2015#4,488 (31)#3,615 (6)———
2014#5,025 (27)#2,314 (11)———
2013#5,644 (23)#3,536 (6)——#2,595 (7)
2012#4,216 (35)#2,969 (8)——#3,334 (5)
2011#4,353 (33)#3,185 (7)——#2,156 (9)

The tide so far

  • Peaked in the US in 1901 at #209.
  • Rising over the last five years.
  • In the US records since the data begins in 1880.
  • A comeback: it faded for decades and is rising again.
  • In 1957, 92% of US babies named Elma were girls.

How common is it?

about 1 in 50,000 baby girls in the published US list for 2025.

In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.

How common, country by country

WhereSexLatest yearShareVerdict
USGirls2025about 1 in 50,000rare
England & WalesGirls2025about 1 in 8,200uncommon
ScotlandGirls2025about 1 in 6,000uncommon
CanadaGirls2025about 1 in 25,000rare

Next year

On its recent trend, Elma is likely to keep falling in the US in 2026: about 1 in 54,000 baby girls. Likely range 1 in 37,000 to 1 in 78,000.

Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.

Across the US

Elma by state, 2025Alaska: fewer than 5 babiesAKMaine: fewer than 5 babiesMEWisconsin: fewer than 5 babiesWIVermont: fewer than 5 babiesVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 babiesNHWashington: fewer than 5 babiesWAIdaho: fewer than 5 babiesIDMontana: fewer than 5 babiesMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 babiesMNIllinois: fewer than 5 babiesILMichigan: fewer than 5 babiesMINew York: #1,654NYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 babiesMAOregon: fewer than 5 babiesORNevada: fewer than 5 babiesNVWyoming: fewer than 5 babiesWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesSDIowa: fewer than 5 babiesIAIndiana: fewer than 5 babiesINOhio: fewer than 5 babiesOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 babiesPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 babiesNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 babiesCTRhode Island: fewer than 5 babiesRICalifornia: fewer than 5 babiesCAUtah: fewer than 5 babiesUTColorado: fewer than 5 babiesCONebraska: fewer than 5 babiesNEMissouri: fewer than 5 babiesMOKentucky: fewer than 5 babiesKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 babiesWVVirginia: fewer than 5 babiesVAMaryland: fewer than 5 babiesMDDelaware: fewer than 5 babiesDEArizona: fewer than 5 babiesAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 babiesNMKansas: fewer than 5 babiesKSArkansas: fewer than 5 babiesARTennessee: fewer than 5 babiesTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 babiesDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 babiesOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 babiesLAMississippi: fewer than 5 babiesMSAlabama: fewer than 5 babiesALGeorgia: fewer than 5 babiesGAHawaii: fewer than 5 babiesHITexas: fewer than 5 babiesTXFlorida: fewer than 5 babiesFL
Elma (girls) rank in each state, 2025. Hatched states recorded fewer than 5 babies.
  • #1–10
  • #11–50
  • #51–100
  • #101–500
  • below #500

Spellings

Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.

SpellingWhereSexLatest rankBabies
ElmaCanadaGirls#3,0446
ElmaEngland & WalesGirls#1,07931
ElmaIrelandGirls—too few
ElmaNorthern IrelandGirls—too few
ElmaScotlandGirls#7803
ElmaUSGirls#4,35232
ElmaUSBoys—too few