Elec
Anglicized form of a Greek name meaning "bright ray of the sun".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Elec. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Elec today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elec births was 1998 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elec. 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 Elec. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1998
6 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
1998 SSA rank
#8,806
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Elec: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Elec 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 Elec during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Elec
The name Elec has its origins in the ancient Greek language and culture, dating back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "elektron," which means "amber" or "shining sun." The name was likely given to children as a symbol of radiance, warmth, and vitality.
The earliest known reference to the name Elec can be found in the works of the Greek philosopher Plato, who mentions a character with this name in his dialogues. Additionally, ancient Greek texts and inscriptions have documented the existence of individuals bearing this name during the classical era.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Elec is Elec of Samos, a prominent Greek mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 6th century BC. He is credited with predicting solar eclipses and contributing significantly to the field of geometry.
In the 3rd century BC, Elec of Colophon was a renowned Greek poet and grammarian. His works, though largely lost, were widely praised by ancient scholars for their linguistic sophistication and literary merit.
During the Byzantine era, Elec Comnenus was a prominent military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century. His bravery and strategic acumen earned him a place in the annals of Byzantine history.
In the 15th century, Elec Haralambie was a renowned Romanian scholar and theologian. He is best known for his translations of religious texts and his contributions to the development of the Romanian language and literature.
The name Elec also found its way into the Renaissance period, with Elec Doglioni, an Italian nobleman and historian from the 16th century. His chronicles of Venetian history and his accounts of the Ottoman-Venetian wars are considered valuable historical sources.
While the name Elec has seen limited use in more recent times, its historical significance and connections to various cultures and civilizations make it a unique and intriguing name with a rich heritage.
People
Elec + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elec 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
Elec: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elec?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elec 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Elec a common name?
We classify Elec as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elec most popular?
The single biggest year for Elec was 1998, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elec is about 28 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 Elec in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elec a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elec 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 Elec still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elec 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 Elec 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 common is the name Elec?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Elec at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.