Elva
Generally read as an anglicized spelling of the Irish Ailbhe, a name linked to a word for white; it is also taken as a feminine form of Elvin.
Elva in 2025
Elva was given to 41 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 6,442nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 80,862 babies born.
The history of Elva
Elva reached its highest point in 1918, when 818 babies were given the name, ranking 390th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 228th, in 1901.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 32,514 babies have been named Elva. Half of them were born before 1926, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Elva by decade
| Decade | Babies named Elva | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 925 | 302 |
| 1890s | 1,932 | 252 |
| 1900s | 2,724 | 228 |
| 1910s | 6,189 | 290 |
| 1920s | 6,531 | 412 |
| 1930s | 3,954 | 524 |
| 1940s | 2,812 | 688 |
| 1950s | 2,346 | 889 |
| 1960s | 1,522 | 1,283 |
| 1970s | 993 | 1,688 |
| 1980s | 759 | 2,106 |
| 1990s | 652 | 2,882 |
| 2000s | 472 | 4,209 |
| 2010s | 461 | 5,314 |
| 2020s | 242 | 5,935 |
Where Elva is heading
Elva has fallen 7% over the past decade, from 44 babies in 2015 to 41 in 2025.
Names like Elva
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Elva.