Elwanda
A feminine name of uncertain origin possibly meaning "sought after one".
Name Census estimates that about 314 living Americans carry the first name Elwanda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elwanda today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elwanda births was 1921 (98 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elwanda. 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 Elwanda is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Elwandas were born before 1959.
People living today
314
~ 1 in 1,091,574 Americans
Peak year
1921
98 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1977 SSA rank
#8,758
Tracked since 1920
Census
Elwanda in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 481 people with the first name Elwanda, which placed it at #21,195 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#21,195
National first-name rank
People counted
481
481 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
76.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elwanda
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elwanda is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Elwanda described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Elwanda at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.7% · 369
- Black or African American18.1% · 87
- Two or more races2.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Popularity
Elwanda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elwanda from the 1920s through to the 1970s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 499 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
Elwanda 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 Elwanda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elwandas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Elwanda, while Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 78 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elwanda
Elwanda is a unique and intriguing given name with a rich history that spans multiple cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the Germanic languages, where it is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old German words "elf" and "wanda," meaning "elf" and "wanderer," respectively. This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who were thought to possess a connection to the mystical realm of elves or were known for their love of travel and exploration.
In the early medieval period, the name Elwanda appeared in various ancient texts and records from the Germanic regions of Europe. One notable instance was in the 8th-century Frankish chronicles, where an individual named Elwanda was mentioned as a skilled warrior and advisor to Charlemagne, the renowned king of the Franks.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent several spelling variations, including Elvanda, Elwinda, and Elwynda. In the 12th century, an Elwanda was recorded as being a prominent figure in the court of King Henry II of England, serving as a respected advisor and confidante.
The name Elwanda also found its way into the annals of religious history. In the 14th century, a nun named Elwanda von Gerresheim was renowned for her piety and devotion to her faith. She is said to have played a significant role in the establishment of several convents and monasteries in the Rhineland region of Germany.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Elwanda. In the 16th century, Elwanda Geldorp was a celebrated Dutch artist known for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. Her works adorned many churches and buildings throughout the Netherlands.
Another remarkable Elwanda was Elwanda Krauklis, a 17th-century Latvian composer and musician who contributed greatly to the development of Baroque music in the Baltic region. Her compositions were widely performed and admired during her lifetime.
In the 19th century, Elwanda Barker was a pioneering American educator and women's rights advocate. She fought tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women and played a crucial role in establishing several prestigious schools and colleges across the United States.
While the name Elwanda may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich tapestry of history, encompassing diverse cultures, remarkable individuals, and a unique blend of linguistic origins that continue to captivate and intrigue those who encounter it.
People
Elwanda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elwanda 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
Elwanda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elwanda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 314 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elwanda 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 1,091,574 US residents.
Is Elwanda a common name?
We classify Elwanda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,272 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elwanda most popular?
The single biggest year for Elwanda was 1921, when 98 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elwanda is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Elwanda in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 481 people with the name Elwanda, or 0.16 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,195 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Elwanda in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Elwanda?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Elwanda leans strongly female. 476 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 7 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Elwanda?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elwanda is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Elwanda most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Elwanda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (369 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Elwanda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elwanda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elwanda 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 Elwanda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elwanda 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 Elwanda 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.
How many people are named Elwanda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.