Eltha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly an elaboration of Eltha.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Eltha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eltha today is around 123 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eltha births was 1922 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eltha. 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 Eltha is about 123 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Elthas were born before 1913.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eltha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1922
10 babies that year
Average age
123
years old
1931 SSA rank
#3,305
Tracked since 1885
Popularity
Eltha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eltha from the 1880s through to the 1930s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 62 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
Eltha 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 Eltha 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 Eltha
The name Eltha originates from the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia, dating back to around 3500 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian word "el-tha," which translates to "wise one" or "knowledgeable person." The name was commonly given to those who were believed to possess exceptional wisdom, intellect, or scholarly abilities.
In the ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablets, there are records of individuals bearing the name Eltha, indicating its usage among the elite classes and scholars of that time. However, the name's popularity declined after the fall of the Sumerian civilization, and it became less commonly used in subsequent eras.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Eltha was a Sumerian scribe and scholar who lived around 2300 BC. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of astronomy and mathematics, and his works were highly influential in the development of these fields in ancient Mesopotamia.
In the 8th century BC, an Assyrian philosopher and mathematician named Eltha is mentioned in several historical texts. He is credited with advancing the understanding of geometry and developing new methods for calculating the areas of complex shapes.
During the Hellenistic period, an influential philosopher and tutor named Eltha lived in Alexandria, Egypt, around 200 BC. He was known for his teachings on ethics and virtue, and his students included several notable figures of the time.
In the 5th century AD, a Byzantine scholar named Eltha gained recognition for his work in preserving and translating ancient Greek texts. His efforts played a crucial role in the transmission of classical knowledge to the medieval world.
Another notable individual with the name Eltha was a Persian poet and mystic who lived in the 12th century AD. His works explored themes of spirituality, love, and the human experience, and he is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Persian literature.
While the name Eltha has its roots in ancient Sumerian culture, it has been adopted and adapted in various regions throughout history, reflecting the widespread influence of this early civilization on subsequent societies and cultures.
People
Eltha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eltha 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
Eltha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eltha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eltha 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Eltha a common name?
We classify Eltha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eltha most popular?
The single biggest year for Eltha was 1922, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eltha is about 123 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 Eltha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eltha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eltha 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 Eltha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eltha 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 Eltha 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 many people have the name Eltha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.