Elva
A feminine name derived from the Old Norse word "elfr" meaning "white wave".
Name Census estimates that about 8,351 living Americans carry the first name Elva. It is a predominantly female name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Elva today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elva births was 1918 (818 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elva. 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
- • Although Elva is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 817 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
8.4K
~ 1 in 41,044 Americans
Peak year
1918
818 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1981 SSA rank
#3,703
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Elva
Elva leans heavily female at 97.5% of total registrations, but 817 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Elva as a male name
- Ranked #6,577 in 1981
- 5 male births in 1981
- Peak: 1918 (29 births)
Elva as a female name
- Ranked #3,703 in 2024
- 41 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1918 (789 births)
Popularity
Elva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elva from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6,531 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
Elva 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 Elva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elvas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 45 states and territories. Texas, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Elva, while Vermont, District of Columbia, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 497 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elva
The given name Elva has its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Norse people who inhabited Scandinavia and parts of northern Europe during the Viking Age (circa 800-1050 AD). The name Elva is derived from the Old Norse word "elfr," which means "swan" or "river." It is believed that the name was initially given to children born near rivers or those with a graceful demeanor akin to swans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elva can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives and literary works dating back to the 13th century. In the Saga of Erik the Red, a character named Elva is mentioned as a settler in Greenland during the late 10th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Elva. One of the earliest known was Elva of Verden (c. 1050-1128), a German noblewoman and abbess who played a significant role in the religious life of medieval Germany. She was renowned for her piety and her efforts in establishing and reforming monasteries.
Another notable Elva was Elva Zona Heaster (1887-1897), an American child whose mysterious death in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, led to the conviction of her husband, Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue, in a case that became known as the "Greenbrier Ghost" trial. Elva's ghost allegedly appeared to her mother and helped uncover the truth about her murder.
In the world of literature, Elva Heaster Olson (1871-1957) was an American author and educator who wrote several books on the history of West Virginia, including "The Monongahela of Old" and "The Cherokee Trail."
Elva Famborough (1909-1987) was a British actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions throughout her career, including the 1935 film "The Ghost Goes West" and the original London production of the musical "Gypsy" in 1973.
Lastly, Elva Trill (1924-2007) was a Canadian lawyer and judge who made history as the first woman appointed to the County Court of Manitoba in 1976. She was highly respected for her legal acumen and her dedication to promoting gender equality in the legal profession.
While the name Elva is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and unique meaning have ensured that it remains a part of the cultural heritage of the Norse people and those who trace their ancestry back to the Viking era.
People
Elva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elva 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
Elva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8,351 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elva 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 41,044 US residents.
Is Elva a common name?
We classify Elva as "Rare". It ranks above 97.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32,471 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elva most popular?
The single biggest year for Elva was 1918, when 818 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elva is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elva a female name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Elva 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.