Elwood
English surname from a place name meaning elder-tree wood, from Old English elements for the elder shrub and a forest.
Elwood in 2025
Elwood was given to 81 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 4,090th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 40,930 babies born.
The history of Elwood
Elwood reached its highest point in 1921, when 625 babies were given the name, ranking 477th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 464th, in 1915.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 20,839 babies have been named Elwood. Half of them were born before 1929, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Elwood by decade
| Decade | Babies named Elwood | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 274 | 587 |
| 1890s | 356 | 665 |
| 1900s | 504 | 652 |
| 1910s | 3,908 | 464 |
| 1920s | 5,534 | 477 |
| 1930s | 3,566 | 563 |
| 1940s | 2,593 | 716 |
| 1950s | 1,642 | 1,055 |
| 1960s | 880 | 1,648 |
| 1970s | 421 | 2,619 |
| 1980s | 233 | 4,251 |
| 1990s | 146 | 7,512 |
| 2000s | 115 | 11,833 |
| 2010s | 339 | 5,466 |
| 2020s | 328 | 4,090 |
Where Elwood is heading
Elwood has risen 56% over the past decade, from 52 babies in 2015 to 81 in 2025.
Names like Elwood
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Elwood.