Eldrich
Ancient literary term referring to an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Eldrich. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eldrich today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eldrich births was 2001 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eldrich. 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 Eldrich. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2001
5 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,079
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Eldrich: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Eldrich 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 Eldrich during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Eldrich
The given name Eldrich finds its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is a compound name derived from the Old English words "eal" meaning "all" and "ric" meaning "ruler" or "powerful". The name can be interpreted as "one who rules over all" or "powerful leader".
During the Anglo-Saxon era, the name Eldrich was predominantly used among the nobility and ruling classes, reflecting its connotation of power and authority. It was a popular choice for the sons of kings, earls, and other high-ranking officials. The earliest recorded example of the name can be traced back to the 8th century, when an Eldrich of Mercia was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of the time.
In the 10th century, Eldrich the Wise, a renowned scholar and advisor to King Ethelred the Unready, gained fame for his intellectual pursuits and political counsel. His legacy as a learned man contributed to the association of the name with wisdom and intelligence.
Another notable figure bearing the name Eldrich was Eldrich Longbow, a skilled archer who fought alongside King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His bravery and marksmanship were celebrated in the tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Eldrich fell out of widespread use but was revived during the Renaissance period. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Eldrich de Vere, a 16th-century English poet and courtier known for his sonnets and his role in the Elizabethan court (1550-1604).
In the 18th century, Eldrich Walpole, an English politician and writer, gained recognition for his satirical works and his contributions to the development of the Gothic novel genre (1717-1797).
While the name Eldrich has become less common in modern times, its historical significance and connotations of power, wisdom, and leadership continue to endure, making it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Eldrich + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eldrich 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
Eldrich: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eldrich?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eldrich 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 Eldrich a common name?
We classify Eldrich 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 Eldrich most popular?
The single biggest year for Eldrich was 2001, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eldrich is about 25 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 Eldrich in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eldrich a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eldrich 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 Eldrich still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eldrich 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 Eldrich 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 share the name Eldrich?
You can see how many Americans are named Eldrich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.