Elna
Variant of the feminine name Elaine, of Greek origin meaning "bright, shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 713 living Americans carry the first name Elna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elna today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elna births was 1917 (173 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elna. 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 Elna is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Elnas were born before 1968.
People living today
713
~ 1 in 480,721 Americans
Peak year
1917
173 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,727
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Elna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elna from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 1,167 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
Elna 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 Elna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elnas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 30 states and territories. Texas, Minnesota, Alabama recorded the most babies named Elna, while South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 48 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elna
The name Elna has its roots in the Old Norse language, tracing back to the Viking era of the 8th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse word "eln," which means "courage" or "strength." The name was commonly used by the Norse people who inhabited Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elna can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of stories and historical accounts written in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Sagas often featured characters with names of Old Norse origin, reflecting the cultural significance of these names among the Viking people.
In the realm of historical figures, Elna Kjærsgaard, a Danish politician born in 1946, is a notable bearer of this name. She was a co-founder of the Danish People's Party and served as a member of the Danish Parliament for several decades, playing a significant role in shaping the country's political landscape.
Another famous Elna was Elna Marie Tervola-Soikkeli, a Finnish cross-country skier born in 1934. She won multiple medals in the Winter Olympics and World Championships, cementing her legacy as one of Finland's most successful cross-country skiers in history.
In the literary realm, Elna Gretor Dufva, a Swedish author and translator born in 1868, made significant contributions to the Swedish literary scene. Her works, including novels and translations, were widely acclaimed and helped to popularize the name Elna in Sweden during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name Elna has also been associated with notable individuals in the field of art and design. Elna Stone, an American artist born in 1888, was renowned for her modernist paintings and sculptures, which were featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States.
Elna Nilsson, a Swedish textile artist born in 1920, was another prominent figure who carried this name. Her innovative weaving techniques and vibrant designs earned her international recognition, and her works are held in prestigious collections worldwide.
While the name Elna has its origins in the Old Norse language, it has transcended its cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world, serving as a reminder of the rich tapestry of global naming traditions and the enduring legacy of historical names.
People
Elna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elna 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
Elna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 713 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elna 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 480,721 US residents.
Is Elna a common name?
We classify Elna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,469 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elna most popular?
The single biggest year for Elna was 1917, when 173 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elna is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elna 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.