Elder

Elder - A very unique male name

Elder appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #1014. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Elder and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Elder? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Elder. The baby boy name Elder was given to 12 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2918 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 122,190 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Elder peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 1014.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Elder, 1-5?

Elder is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Elder is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,267 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,354.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Elder is where you live.

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Elder origin and meaning

English surname and word name

Uncertain — a surname and word with more than one possible source

Elder as a first name may come from the English surname Elder, from the word elder meaning older or senior, or from the elder tree, and it is also used in Portuguese and Brazilian naming. With more than one live source, no single derivation is asserted. It has been used in the United States since the early twentieth century, peaking in 2008.

Origin uncertain

Elder is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Elder, pop culture references for the name Elder and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Elder

We've found the following names that sound similar to Elder, sorted by popularity.

Eldridge / Eldred / Eluterio / Eleuterio / Eldor / Eliodoro / Eldredge / Eldrick /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Elder

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Elder a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Elder?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

EL-der · /ˈɛldər/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

SurnameWord name

Why parents choose it

A sober word-and-surname name that sounds older than it is as a given name.

Worth knowing

• In Latter-day Saint contexts Elder is a title, which may cause confusion, and the name can sound like a description rather than a name.