Elgene
A feminine name of uncertain meaning and origin.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Elgene. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 59.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Elgene today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elgene births was 1927 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elgene. 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 Elgene is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Elgenes were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Elgene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1927
12 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1944 SSA rank
#3,218
Tracked since 1918
Census
Elgene in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 146 people with the first name Elgene, which placed it at #46,062 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#46,062
National first-name rank
People counted
146
146 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
56.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elgene
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elgene is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.9%) and Black (13.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Elgene described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Elgene at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.2% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.9% · 29
- Black or African American13.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.8% · 7
- Two or more races3.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 3
Gender
Gender distribution for Elgene
Elgene is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 118 total registrations, 48 (40.7%) were male and 70 (59.3%) were female.
Elgene as a male name
- Ranked #3,218 in 1944
- 6 male births in 1944
- Peak: 1931 (7 births)
Elgene as a female name
- Ranked #3,234 in 1937
- 8 female births in 1937
- Peak: 1924 (11 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Elgene on both sides of the split. Of the 144 people counted with this name, 87 were male (60.4%) and 57 were female (39.6%).
Popularity
Elgene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elgene from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 60 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
Elgene 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 Elgene 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 Elgene
The name Elgene is a unique and relatively uncommon given name with roots that can be traced back to various cultures and linguistic traditions. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have emerged from a blend of different linguistic influences.
One possible origin of the name Elgene is the combination of the Old English element "el," meaning "noble" or "excellent," and the French element "gene," derived from the Latin word "geno," meaning "race" or "offspring." This linguistic fusion could suggest that the name was initially used to denote someone of noble lineage or exceptional heritage.
Another theory suggests that Elgene may have evolved from the Greek name "Elgenos," which translates to "of good birth" or "well-born." This connection aligns with the potential noble connotations of the name, adding a layer of cultural depth to its origins.
While the name Elgene is not widely documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has managed to leave a subtle mark throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was Elgene of Salerno, a renowned Italian philosopher and physician who lived in the 11th century. His contributions to the field of medicine and his scholarly writings have left a lasting impact.
In the realm of literature, Elgene Smythe, an English novelist and poet from the late 19th century, garnered acclaim for his works exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition. His poetic prowess and lyrical mastery earned him a place among the literary greats of his time.
The annals of history also record Elgene Beaumont, a French explorer and cartographer from the 17th century. His detailed maps and chronicles of his voyages across uncharted territories played a pivotal role in expanding geographical knowledge and paving the way for future explorations.
In the realm of academia, Elgene Carlisle, an American scholar and linguist from the early 20th century, made significant contributions to the study of ancient languages and their influence on modern linguistics. Her groundbreaking research and publications continue to be widely referenced and studied.
Finally, Elgene Montague, a British artist and sculptor from the mid-20th century, gained recognition for his thought-provoking works that challenged societal norms and pushed the boundaries of artistic expression. His sculptures and installations continue to captivate audiences worldwide, serving as a testament to his creative genius.
While the name Elgene may be relatively uncommon, its rich tapestry of potential origins and the remarkable individuals who have borne it throughout history have woven it into the fabric of cultural and intellectual discourse, leaving an indelible mark on various fields of human endeavor.
People
Elgene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elgene 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
Elgene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elgene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elgene 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Elgene a common name?
We classify Elgene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 118 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elgene most popular?
The single biggest year for Elgene was 1927, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elgene is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Elgene in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 146 people with the name Elgene, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #46,062 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Elgene in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Elgene?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Elgene on both sides of the split. Of the 144 people counted with this name, 87 were male (60.4%) and 57 were female (39.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Elgene?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elgene is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.9%) and Black (13.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Elgene most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Elgene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.2% (82 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Elgene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elgene a female name?
Yes, 59.3% of people registered as Elgene 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 Elgene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elgene 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 Elgene 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.
How many people have Elgene 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.