Meaning not yet researched.
Ella: US girls given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 5,831 in 2025. Its best rank was #12 in 2012.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #12 in 2012; #29 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Ella in 2025 was a girl.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#29 for US girls in 2025. Its best year was 2012, at #12.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Ella: US girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 5,831 girls in 2025. Peak: #12 in 2012 · most girls in one year: 9,884 (2010).
In 2025, 5,831 US girls were named Ella, making it the 29th most common girls’ name of the year, up 1 place from #30 in 2024. That is 116 more than the 5,715 girls named Ella in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #12, reached in 2012. The most girls given the name in a single year was 9,884, in 2010. For comparison, it was #18 in 2015 and #198 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Ella in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 1,156 babies with the name. In all, 352,214 US babies have been given the name, 99.7% of them girls and 0.3% boys. Its busiest decade was the 2010s, with 85,993 babies named Ella.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 70,202 US girls were named Ella; the busiest of those years was 2019, with 8,131. In 2025 that was about 1 in 276 of the girls in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Ella ranked highest in North Dakota in 2025, at #7 for girls there. It was in the top 100 in 51 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Ellie (106,857 babies since 1880), Elle (19,247 babies since 1880), Elly (4,595 babies since 1880) and Nella (4,374 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Illa, Eola and Elaya are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to El and Ellen.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in Dutch, Estonian and Latvian. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Illa (1,800), Eola (740), Elaya (517), Elah (390), Eyla (364), Elaia (309), Elai (259), Eilah (231), Eulla (113), Eylah (77), Elay (69), Iula (58), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US girls. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five girls got the name, so every state is listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 29 | #7 | #12 |
| Vermont | 15 | #11 | #8 |
| South Dakota | 29 | #12 | #29 |
| Alabama | 117 | #13 | #12 |
| Kentucky | 122 | #14 | #10 |
| Delaware | 21 | #15 | #32 |
| Mississippi | 55 | #16 | #18 |
| Wisconsin | 117 | #16 | #11 |
| New York | 375 | #18 | #17 |
| Hawaii | 21 | #18 | #17 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | #20 | #22 |
| Montana | 24 | #20 | #17 |
| Pennsylvania | 236 | #20 | #18 |
| Minnesota | 112 | #21 | #13 |
| Idaho | 45 | #21 | #20 |
| Michigan | 178 | #21 | #16 |
| Georgia | 200 | #21 | #20 |
| Louisiana | 81 | #21 | #16 |
| West Virginia | 36 | #22 | #21 |
| Tennessee | 176 | #22 | #16 |
| Massachusetts | 148 | #22 | #14 |
| Arkansas | 56 | #23 | #9 |
| North Carolina | 212 | #23 | #20 |
| Nevada | 53 | #24 | #31 |
| Nebraska | 41 | #25 | #23 |
| Missouri | 117 | #26 | #18 |
| Florida | 374 | #27 | #20 |
| Ohio | 205 | #29 | #18 |
| Iowa | 61 | #29 | #16 |
| Colorado | 104 | #30 | #21 |
| Connecticut | 69 | #31 | #17 |
| Wyoming | 8 | #32 | #17 |
| Indiana | 120 | #32 | #22 |
| New Jersey | 169 | #32 | #26 |
| Virginia | 154 | #32 | #22 |
| Maine | 20 | #35 | #10 |
| Illinois | 180 | #36 | #19 |
| Maryland | 84 | #36 | #22 |
| New Hampshire | 25 | #38 | #19 |
| Rhode Island | 17 | #38 | #17 |
| Utah | 77 | #39 | #26 |
| South Carolina | 79 | #40 | #25 |
| Oregon | 57 | #40 | #20 |
| California | 561 | #41 | #32 |
| Arizona | 107 | #42 | #32 |
| Texas | 476 | #43 | #42 |
| Washington | 108 | #45 | #18 |
| Kansas | 47 | #48 | #18 |
| District of Columbia | 10 | #69 | #61 |
| Alaska | 8 | #74 | #52 |
| New Mexico | 15 | #87 | #57 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,831 | #29 | — | — |
| 2024 | 5,715 | #30 | — | — |
| 2023 | 5,670 | #32 | 5 | #12,776 |
| 2022 | 6,291 | #25 | — | — |
| 2021 | 7,041 | #16 | 9 | #8,367 |
| 2020 | 7,372 | #15 | — | — |
| 2019 | 8,131 | #13 | — | — |
| 2018 | 8,127 | #15 | 10 | #7,763 |
| 2017 | 8,084 | #16 | 6 | #11,163 |
| 2016 | 7,940 | #17 | 5 | #12,769 |
| 2015 | 7,918 | #18 | — | — |
| 2014 | 8,570 | #17 | 7 | #9,949 |
| 2013 | 8,461 | #15 | 9 | #8,308 |
| 2012 | 9,210 | #12 | 13 | #6,418 |
| 2011 | 9,597 | #12 | 7 | #9,942 |
| 2010 | 9,884 | #13 | 14 | #6,138 |
| 2009 | 9,659 | #15 | 12 | #6,922 |
| 2008 | 9,364 | #19 | 10 | #7,863 |
| 2007 | 9,554 | #21 | 16 | #5,502 |
| 2006 | 9,213 | #21 | 14 | #5,869 |
| 2005 | 9,072 | #23 | 12 | #6,347 |
| 2004 | 8,252 | #29 | 27 | #3,484 |
| 2003 | 5,909 | #44 | 9 | #7,427 |
| 2002 | 3,567 | #89 | — | — |
| 2001 | 1,722 | #190 | — | — |
| 2000 | 1,232 | #264 | — | — |
| 1999 | 782 | #373 | — | — |
| 1998 | 659 | #409 | — | — |
| 1997 | 501 | #493 | — | — |
| 1996 | 383 | #596 | — | — |
| 1995 | 310 | #687 | — | — |
| 1994 | 314 | #676 | — | — |
| 1993 | 266 | #778 | — | — |
| 1992 | 229 | #862 | — | — |
| 1991 | 216 | #901 | — | — |
| 1990 | 237 | #828 | — | — |
| 1989 | 165 | #1,038 | — | — |
| 1988 | 183 | #924 | — | — |
| 1987 | 128 | #1,152 | — | — |
| 1986 | 128 | #1,132 | — | — |
| 1985 | 147 | #1,026 | — | — |
| 1984 | 138 | #1,029 | — | — |
| 1983 | 156 | #949 | — | — |
| 1982 | 176 | #876 | — | — |
| 1981 | 181 | #859 | — | — |
| 1980 | 174 | #881 | — | — |
| 1979 | 173 | #881 | — | — |
| 1978 | 174 | #849 | — | — |
| 1977 | 163 | #881 | — | — |
| 1976 | 183 | #781 | — | — |
| 1975 | 182 | #776 | — | — |
| 1974 | 212 | #695 | — | — |
| 1973 | 224 | #664 | — | — |
| 1972 | 205 | #706 | — | — |
| 1971 | 257 | #640 | — | — |
| 1970 | 323 | #564 | — | — |
| 1969 | 320 | #551 | — | — |
| 1968 | 314 | #545 | — | — |
| 1967 | 382 | #486 | — | — |
| 1966 | 430 | #454 | — | — |
| 1965 | 479 | #429 | 6 | #3,649 |
| 1964 | 564 | #411 | — | — |
| 1963 | 597 | #393 | — | — |
| 1962 | 630 | #374 | 7 | #3,400 |
| 1961 | 714 | #358 | — | — |
| 1960 | 746 | #352 | 6 | #3,777 |
| 1959 | 867 | #314 | — | — |
| 1958 | 841 | #320 | — | — |
| 1957 | 968 | #290 | — | — |
| 1956 | 989 | #276 | — | — |
| 1955 | 1,125 | #244 | 5 | #4,021 |
| 1954 | 1,099 | #244 | — | — |
| 1953 | 1,161 | #235 | 9 | #2,773 |
| 1952 | 1,245 | #220 | 9 | #2,733 |
| 1951 | 1,364 | #206 | — | — |
| 1950 | 1,379 | #198 | 5 | #3,838 |
| 1949 | 1,552 | #177 | 6 | #3,431 |
| 1948 | 1,554 | #177 | 8 | #2,849 |
| 1947 | 1,635 | #177 | 6 | #3,469 |
| 1946 | 1,499 | #177 | 9 | #2,583 |
| 1945 | 1,473 | #158 | 8 | #2,620 |
| 1944 | 1,573 | #158 | 5 | #3,577 |
| 1943 | 1,664 | #155 | 10 | #2,447 |
| 1942 | 1,659 | #152 | 21 | #1,551 |
| 1941 | 1,697 | #141 | 19 | #1,602 |
| 1940 | 1,671 | #146 | 11 | #2,222 |
| 1939 | 1,829 | #132 | 13 | #1,988 |
| 1938 | 1,728 | #140 | 9 | #2,531 |
| 1937 | 1,748 | #134 | 16 | #1,778 |
| 1936 | 1,836 | #126 | 13 | #1,985 |
| 1935 | 1,901 | #122 | 21 | #1,506 |
| 1934 | 2,071 | #113 | 18 | #1,679 |
| 1933 | 2,027 | #113 | 18 | #1,664 |
| 1932 | 2,256 | #108 | 19 | #1,668 |
| 1931 | 2,162 | #110 | 13 | #2,134 |
| 1930 | 2,404 | #107 | 19 | #1,710 |
| 1929 | 2,475 | #102 | 19 | #1,748 |
| 1928 | 2,670 | #100 | 16 | #1,987 |
| 1927 | 2,843 | #98 | 13 | #2,328 |
| 1926 | 2,852 | #98 | 18 | #1,855 |
| 1925 | 3,006 | #93 | 15 | #2,118 |
| 1924 | 3,061 | #94 | 19 | #1,860 |
| 1923 | 2,995 | #93 | 13 | #2,367 |
| 1922 | 3,150 | #90 | 17 | #1,976 |
| 1921 | 3,237 | #89 | 21 | #1,727 |
| 1920 | 3,232 | #88 | 12 | #2,499 |
| 1919 | 3,158 | #87 | 15 | #2,089 |
| 1918 | 3,291 | #84 | 8 | #3,186 |
| 1917 | 3,054 | #83 | 15 | #2,014 |
| 1916 | 2,965 | #81 | 5 | #4,096 |
| 1915 | 2,954 | #75 | 8 | #2,894 |
| 1914 | 2,308 | #72 | 10 | #2,145 |
| 1913 | 2,071 | #70 | 11 | #1,714 |
| 1912 | 1,921 | #69 | — | — |
| 1911 | 1,604 | #63 | 9 | #1,214 |
| 1910 | 1,587 | #62 | 8 | #1,235 |
| 1909 | 1,382 | #60 | 9 | #1,043 |
| 1908 | 1,428 | #56 | 6 | #1,262 |
| 1907 | 1,450 | #54 | 6 | #1,238 |
| 1906 | 1,343 | #54 | 7 | #1,041 |
| 1905 | 1,438 | #52 | 10 | #802 |
| 1904 | 1,432 | #48 | 7 | #996 |
| 1903 | 1,419 | #50 | 7 | #936 |
| 1902 | 1,525 | #45 | 7 | #957 |
| 1901 | 1,435 | #42 | 7 | #884 |
| 1900 | 1,911 | #42 | 12 | #754 |
| 1899 | 1,502 | #42 | 8 | #806 |
| 1898 | 1,715 | #39 | 11 | #673 |
| 1897 | 1,708 | #36 | — | — |
| 1896 | 1,683 | #36 | 6 | #1,019 |
| 1895 | 1,692 | #35 | — | — |
| 1894 | 1,761 | #31 | 8 | #805 |
| 1893 | 1,760 | #28 | — | — |
| 1892 | 1,808 | #27 | 6 | #996 |
| 1891 | 1,685 | #23 | 7 | #792 |
| 1890 | 1,758 | #23 | — | — |
| 1889 | 1,647 | #22 | — | — |
| 1888 | 1,774 | #18 | 8 | #768 |
| 1887 | 1,521 | #16 | — | — |
| 1886 | 1,464 | #19 | 6 | #876 |
| 1885 | 1,395 | #19 | 6 | #865 |
| 1884 | 1,374 | #19 | 6 | #890 |
| 1883 | 1,251 | #16 | 5 | #937 |
| 1882 | 1,206 | #15 | — | — |
| 1881 | 1,148 | #13 | — | — |
| 1880 | 1,156 | #13 | — | — |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).