Elysian
Relating to the Elysian Fields, the paradisiacal abode of the blessed after death in Greek mythology.
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the first name Elysian. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 62.4% of registrations being male. The average person named Elysian today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elysian births was 2022 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elysian. 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
140
~ 1 in 2,448,245 Americans
Peak year
2022
21 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,491
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Elysian
Elysian is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 141 total registrations, 88 (62.4%) were male and 53 (37.6%) were female.
Elysian as a male name
- Ranked #8,491 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (16 births)
Elysian as a female name
- Ranked #11,356 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (10 births)
Popularity
Elysian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elysian from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 94 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elysian 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 Elysian 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 Elysian
The name Elysian is derived from the ancient Greek word "Elysion," which referred to the Elysian Fields, a mythical paradise in the afterlife reserved for the virtuous and heroic souls. The Elysian Fields were first mentioned in Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, dating back to the 8th century BCE.
The name Elysian is closely associated with the Greek concept of eternal bliss and tranquility, as the Elysian Fields were described as a realm of perpetual spring, where the blessed souls enjoyed a life of everlasting peace and contentment. This idyllic vision of the afterlife was a central belief in ancient Greek mythology and had a significant influence on subsequent religious and philosophical traditions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Elysian was Elysian of Crete, a philosopher who lived in the 6th century BCE. He was a follower of the teachings of Pythagoras and is believed to have written several treatises on mathematics and astronomy, although none of his works have survived to the present day.
In the 2nd century CE, a Roman philosopher named Lucius Apuleius wrote a work titled "The Golden Ass," which featured a character named Elysian. This novel, considered one of the earliest examples of the ancient Roman novel genre, was a satirical and fantastical tale that explored themes of magic, religion, and the human condition.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian humanist scholar named Elysian Calenti (1435-1503) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature. He was a prolific writer and translator, and his works helped to revive interest in classical texts and philology during the intellectual revival of the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the 18th century, an English writer and critic named Elysian Crispe (1718-1780) gained prominence for his essays and literary criticism. He was a member of the renowned literary circle known as the Bluestockings and was known for his wit and erudition.
Another notable figure with the name Elysian was Elysian Gortchakoff (1795-1857), a Russian diplomat and statesman who served as Chancellor of the Russian Empire under Tsar Nicholas I. He played a significant role in shaping Russian foreign policy during the turbulent period of the Crimean War and the subsequent Congress of Paris in 1856.
People
Elysian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elysian 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
Elysian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elysian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 140 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elysian 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 2,448,245 US residents.
Is Elysian a common name?
We classify Elysian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 141 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elysian most popular?
The single biggest year for Elysian was 2022, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elysian is about 6 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 Elysian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elysian a male name?
Yes, 62.4% of people registered as Elysian in the SSA data are male. 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 Elysian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elysian 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 Elysian 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 Americans are named Elysian?
Want to know how many Americans are named Elysian? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.