Elysse
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "sun ray" or "sunlight".
Name Census estimates that about 746 living Americans carry the first name Elysse. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elysse today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elysse births was 1987 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elysse. 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
746
~ 1 in 459,456 Americans
Peak year
1987
35 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,512
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Elysse: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elysse from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 208 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elysse 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 Elysse during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elysses live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Elysse, while Texas, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elysse
The given name Elysse is a feminine variant of the French name Elise, which is derived from the ancient Greek name Elisabet or Elisabeth. The name Elisabeth, in turn, has its roots in the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "God is my oath" or "consecrated to God."
The earliest recorded use of the name Elysse dates back to the late Middle Ages, when it emerged as a French variant of the more common Elise or Elisabeth. During this time, the name was primarily associated with the nobility and upper classes in France, as well as other parts of Europe where French culture and language held sway.
In the realm of literature, one of the earliest mentions of the name Elysse can be found in the French epic poem "Le Roman de la Rose" (The Romance of the Rose), written in the 13th century by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. The poem features a character named Elysse, who represents the idea of divine grace and spiritual enlightenment.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Elysse. One of the most prominent was Elysse Reclus (1827-1904), a French geographer and anarchist who made significant contributions to the field of social geography and advocated for a decentralized, communal society based on mutual aid.
Another notable Elysse was Elysse Lefurgy (1892-1988), an American artist and illustrator known for her vibrant paintings depicting scenes from rural life in New England. Her works were exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums throughout the United States.
In the realm of literature, Elysse Ritter (1919-2007) was a French writer and philosopher who explored themes of existentialism and the human condition in her novels and essays. Her most acclaimed work, "Le Miroir Noir" (The Black Mirror), published in 1956, earned her critical acclaim and a nomination for the prestigious Prix Goncourt.
Moving into the 20th century, Elysse Jourdain (1924-2010) was a French actress and singer who graced the stages of Paris and other European cities with her performances in musicals and operettas. Her portrayal of the lead role in the classic French musical "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) in 1964 remains one of her most celebrated roles.
Lastly, Elysse Martínez (born 1976) is a contemporary Mexican-American author and poet whose works explore themes of identity, culture, and the immigrant experience. Her debut poetry collection, "Towards the Bright Mists," published in 2005, garnered widespread critical acclaim and established her as an important voice in contemporary American literature.
People
Elysse + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elysse 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
Elysse: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elysse?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 746 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elysse 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 459,456 US residents.
Is Elysse a common name?
We classify Elysse as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 768 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elysse most popular?
The single biggest year for Elysse was 1987, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elysse is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elysse a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elysse 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.