Eelis
A Finnish masculine name derived from the Biblical name Elijah.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Eelis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eelis today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eelis births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eelis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eelis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,749
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Eelis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Eelis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Eelis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Eelis
The name Eelis is a Finnish masculine given name derived from the Old Norse name Eilífr, which itself is composed of the elements "ei" meaning "always" and "líf" meaning "life". It can be translated as "eternal life" or "everlasting life". The earliest recorded instances of this name date back to the Viking Age, when the Norse people settled in parts of modern-day Finland, introducing their language and cultural influences to the region.
In Finnish folklore and mythology, Eelis is sometimes associated with the ancient Finnish deity Ahti, who was revered as the god of waters, seas, and fishermen. While there is no direct historical evidence of this name being used in religious contexts, its connection to Old Norse origins suggests a possible link to the pagan beliefs and traditions of the Viking era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Eelis was Eelis Lönnrot (1802-1884), a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for compiling the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, which played a crucial role in the development of Finnish national identity and the Finnish language.
Another notable figure was Eelis Gulin (1893-1975), a Finnish Olympic athlete who won a gold medal in the javelin throw at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. His achievement was significant in the early years of Finnish independence and helped establish the country's reputation in international sports.
In the field of literature, Eelis Ikonen (1869-1929) was a Finnish author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories depicting life in rural Finland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works were influential in capturing the cultural and social changes of that era.
Eelis Siniö (1889-1962) was a Finnish architect known for his contributions to the Nordic Classicism architectural style. He designed numerous public buildings, churches, and residential projects in Finland, many of which are now considered important examples of Finnish architectural heritage.
Finally, Eelis Sinisalo (1876-1949) was a Finnish politician and journalist who served as the Prime Minister of Finland from 1931 to 1932. He played a significant role in navigating the country through the economic and political challenges of the interwar period.
People
Eelis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eelis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eelis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eelis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eelis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Eelis a common name?
We classify Eelis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eelis most popular?
The single biggest year for Eelis was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eelis is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Eelis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eelis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eelis in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Eelis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eelis in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Eelis can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Eelis as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.