Eldena
A feminine name meaning "wealthy protector", derived from Old Frisian roots.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Eldena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eldena today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eldena births was 1921 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eldena. 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
- • The typical person named Eldena is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Eldenas were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eldena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1921
14 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1953 SSA rank
#4,709
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Eldena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eldena from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 79 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eldena 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 Eldena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eldena
The name Eldena has its origins in the Germanic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the 9th century AD. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German words "al" and "dēn," which together mean "old valley" or "ancient valley."
This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with people living in or near ancient valleys or settlements situated in valleys. It is possible that the name was first used as a descriptive term or a place name before becoming a personal name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eldena can be found in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery of Corvey, located in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The monastery's records from the 9th century mention an individual named Eldena, who was a landowner in the region.
In the 11th century, a noblewoman named Eldena von Büren is mentioned in historical records from the Holy Roman Empire. She was a member of the influential von Büren family and held significant landholdings in the region of Westphalia, Germany.
Another notable figure with the name Eldena was a 12th-century abbess who presided over the Benedictine convent of Drübeck in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Historical accounts refer to her as Eldena of Drübeck, and she is credited with overseeing the construction of several buildings within the convent complex.
In the 13th century, an Italian noblewoman named Eldena Frescobaldi was a prominent figure in Florence. She was a member of the powerful Frescobaldi banking family and is mentioned in various historical documents related to the city's political and financial affairs.
During the late medieval period, a woman named Eldena von Langenbeck lived in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany. She was a landowner and is recorded in local chronicles as having made significant contributions to the construction of a church in her local community.
While the name Eldena has deep historical roots, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its linguistic origins and historical associations provide insight into the cultural and geographic context in which the name emerged and was used in various parts of Europe over the centuries.
People
Eldena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eldena 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
Eldena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eldena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eldena 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Eldena a common name?
We classify Eldena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eldena most popular?
The single biggest year for Eldena was 1921, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eldena is about 86 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 Eldena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eldena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eldena in the SSA data are female. 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 Eldena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eldena 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 Eldena 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 are called Eldena?
You can see how many people have the name Eldena on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.