Elson
Masculine · “son of Elias”
Elson is a son of Elis, and Elis was how medieval England said Elias, which is Greek for the prophet Elijah. The surname formed in the ordinary English way, and American families moved it to the front of the name in the nineteenth century.
How old is the name Elson?
Elson first appears in US birth records in 1911 — 114 years ago. The typical Elson alive today was born around 1971, making them about 54 years old. About 800 people named Elson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Elson most popular?
Elson peaked in 1911, reaching #1387 nationally. Today it ranks #4857, 3,470 places below that high. See the whole 1911 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Eliyahu to Elson
The story of Elson
Elias reached England through the Greek and Latin bibles and was a common medieval name, producing the surnames Ellis, Elson and Elliot. Elson crossed to America early and was given as a first name from the nineteenth century, especially in the South and in Cape Verdean and Brazilian communities later on, where it is also used. In Brazil it has been steadily popular for decades, alongside Edson and Nelson, all of them names that look English and are given in Portuguese.
Meaningscholars disagree
son of Elias
The surname is generally read as a patronymic from Elis, the medieval English form of Elias, whose Hebrew original Eliyahu means my God is the Lord. A second account traces it to an English place name, Elson in Hampshire. Both are documented, and family lines differ.
How the name formed
- Eliyahu
- Elias
- Elis
- Elson
Related forms: Ellis · Élson · Eliyahu
Pronouncing Elson
EL-sun
Two syllables, stress in front. Portuguese says EL-song with a nasal ending, and Brazilian families use that.
Nicknames for Elson
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1911
- Most boys named
- 200722 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1387reached in 1911
- Change vs 2023
- +42.9%20 in 2025, from 14
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Elson in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ellis in English — related form
- Élson in Portuguese — spelling variant
- Eliyahu in Hebrew — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Florida.
Elsons among us
people named Elson are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 85,404 born in 2025 was named Elson
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Elson sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Elson beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Elson in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- It connects to Elijah, one of the most documented names in the Hebrew Bible.
- Two syllables and five letters make it easy to write and to say.
- It works as a surname and a first name, which suits families using both.
- Elson, Nelson and Edson are close enough to be confused by people writing quickly.
- Its origin is genuinely double, so answers found online will disagree.
- It is uncommon in the United States and will be spelled out often.
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Elson
Masculine · #4857 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Elsons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 800 people named Elson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Elson in 2025?
- Elson ranks #4857 among US boy names in 2025, with 20 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Elson?
- About 1 in every 85,404 US boys born in 2025 was named Elson — 20 in all.
- Will my child share the name Elson with classmates?
- Elson will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Elson
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Carlyle#4857 · Russ#4857 · Hercules#4857 · Marcial#4857 · Lauro#4857 · Marin#4857 · Gil#4857 · Aloysius#4857
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Elson? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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