Elmire
A feminine name of French origin meaning "outstanding princess".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Elmire. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elmire today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elmire births was 1906 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elmire. 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 Elmire is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Elmires were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Elmire. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1906
11 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1947 SSA rank
#4,911
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Elmire: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elmire from the 1880s through to the 1940s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 58 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elmire 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 Elmire during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elmires live
Origin
Meaning and history of Elmire
The name Elmire has its origins in the French language and culture. It is believed to have derived from the Old French name Aemilie, which itself is a variation of the Latin name Aemilia. The Aemilia gens was a prominent Roman family, and the name may have initially been associated with this lineage.
In its earliest recorded uses, Elmire was often spelled as Elmyre or Elmire, with variations in the final vowel sound. The name gained popularity in France during the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly among the nobility and upper classes.
One of the earliest notable references to the name Elmire can be found in Molière's 1667 play "Le Misanthrope," where a character bears this name. This literary work helped to popularize the name and establish its association with French culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Elmire. One of the earliest recorded instances is Elmire de Vaugrenan (c. 1650-1735), a French noblewoman and salonnière who hosted influential literary and philosophical gatherings in her salon.
Another prominent figure was Elmire Zolá (1843-1896), the wife of the famous French novelist Émile Zola. She played a crucial role in preserving and promoting her husband's literary works after his death.
In the realm of arts and entertainment, Elmire Bourgeois (1823-1890) was a French actress and singer who performed in various theaters across Paris during the 19th century.
Elmire Lebellegard (1886-1955) was a French opera singer and actress who gained recognition for her performances in several operas and plays in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Elmire Armenteras (1923-2014) was a French resistance fighter during World War II, known for her bravery and her efforts to aid Allied forces in their operations against the German occupation.
These examples highlight the enduring presence of the name Elmire throughout various time periods and across different fields, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and historical significance within the French tradition.
People
Elmire + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elmire 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
Elmire: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elmire?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elmire 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 Elmire a common name?
We classify Elmire 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, 213 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elmire most popular?
The single biggest year for Elmire was 1906, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elmire is about 90 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 Elmire in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elmire a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elmire 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 Elmire still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elmire 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 Elmire 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 Elmire?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.