Elspeth
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "my Lord is truthful".
Name Census estimates that about 794 living Americans carry the first name Elspeth. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elspeth today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elspeth births was 1984 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elspeth. 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
794
~ 1 in 431,681 Americans
Peak year
1984
39 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,215
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Elspeth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elspeth from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 240 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Elspeth remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elspeth 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 Elspeth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elspeths live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Massachusetts, Illinois recorded the most babies named Elspeth, while Illinois, Massachusetts, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elspeth
The name Elspeth is a Scottish feminine name derived from the Older Scots form of the name Elizabeth. It is believed to have originated from the Hebrew name Elisheva, which means "God is my oath." The name Elizabeth, from which Elspeth is derived, has its roots in the Greek form Elisabet.
The earliest recorded use of the name Elspeth dates back to the 13th century, and it was particularly popular in Scotland during the Middle Ages. Some notable historical figures bearing this name include Elspeth Buchan, a 14th-century Scottish noblewoman and the wife of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland. Another early example is Elspeth Grahame, a 15th-century Scottish woman who was tried and executed for witchcraft in 1537.
In literature, one of the earliest references to the name Elspeth can be found in the 16th-century Scottish ballad "Sir Patrick Spens," where a character named Elspeth is mentioned. The name also appears in Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Antiquary," published in 1816, where a character named Elspeth Mucklebackit plays a significant role.
Notable individuals named Elspeth include Elspeth Huxley (1907-1997), a British writer and broadcaster known for her memoirs and travel writings. Elspeth Somerville (1861-1924) was a Scottish writer and artist, best known for her novel "The Perpetual Curate." Elspeth Muir (1915-2003) was a Scottish artist and children's book illustrator, renowned for her illustrations of the works of authors like Lewis Carroll and Beatrix Potter.
Another important figure was Elspeth Campbell, Baroness Rix (1925-2019), a British politician and disability rights campaigner. She played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities and founded the charity Mencap. Elspeth Howe (1942-2004) was a British sculptor and painter, recognized for her abstract sculptures and participation in the British Constructivist movement.
The name Elspeth has a rich historical heritage, with its roots firmly planted in Scottish culture and tradition. While it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, it remains a relatively uncommon name in modern times, carrying a distinct charm and connection to its Scottish origins.
People
Elspeth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elspeth 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
Elspeth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elspeth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 794 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elspeth 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 431,681 US residents.
Is Elspeth a common name?
We classify Elspeth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 904 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elspeth most popular?
The single biggest year for Elspeth was 1984, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elspeth is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elspeth a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elspeth 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.