Elke
A diminutive German form of the feminine name Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,001 living Americans carry the first name Elke. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elke today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elke births was 1968 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elke. 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.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 342,412 Americans
Peak year
1968
77 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,347
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Elke: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elke from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 354 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elke 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 Elke during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elkes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Elke, while Ohio, Texas, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 43 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elke
The name Elke has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically in the Old High German and Old Saxon dialects. It is a diminutive form of the name Ela, which is derived from the Germanic root "alu," meaning "all" or "complete."
The name Elke first appeared in written records dating back to the 8th century AD, during the Carolingian Renaissance period in Europe. It was commonly used in regions that are now parts of modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Similar spellings like Elka, Elcke, and Elke were also found in historical documents from that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elke is in the 9th century manuscript "Heliand," an Old Saxon epic poem that retells the life of Jesus Christ. In this text, Elke is mentioned as a character, although it is uncertain whether it was a real person or a fictional name used in the poem.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Elke. One of the most famous was Elke Sommer, a German actress and former model, born in 1940. She rose to prominence in the 1960s and appeared in numerous films, including "A Shot in the Dark" and "The Prize."
Another notable Elke was Elke Krystufek, an Austrian writer and poet born in 1970. She is known for her experimental prose and poetry, exploring themes of identity, language, and perception. Her works include "Memories of the Body" and "The Void Panorama."
In the world of sports, Elke Nagler, a German gymnast born in 1958, made her mark. She won multiple medals, including gold, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1979 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Elke Büdenbender, born in 1962, is the spouse of the current President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. She is a judge and has been involved in various charitable organizations and initiatives.
Elke Sommers, born in 1955, is a Dutch mathematician and computer scientist. She is known for her contributions to the field of computational geometry and has received numerous awards and honors for her work.
While the name Elke has its roots in ancient Germanic languages, it has maintained a presence throughout history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from artists and athletes to academics and public figures.
People
Elke + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elke 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
Elke: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elke?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,001 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elke 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 342,412 US residents.
Is Elke a common name?
We classify Elke as "Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,107 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elke most popular?
The single biggest year for Elke was 1968, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elke is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elke a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elke 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.
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.