Elza
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly related to Elizabeth.
Name Census estimates that about 756 living Americans carry the first name Elza. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 71.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Elza today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elza births was 1921 (85 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elza. 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
- • Elza started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
People living today
756
~ 1 in 453,379 Americans
Peak year
1921
85 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1990 SSA rank
#7,322
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Elza
Elza is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,934 total registrations, 2,111 (71.9%) were male and 823 (28.1%) were female.
Elza as a male name
- Ranked #7,446 in 1990
- 6 male births in 1990
- Peak: 1922 (68 births)
Elza as a female name
- Ranked #7,322 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1921 (22 births)
Popularity
Elza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elza 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 670 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
Elza 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 Elza during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elzas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia recorded the most babies named Elza, while Georgia, California, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elza
The name Elza is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German word "aliz" or "aliza," which means "nobly born" or "from a noble family." It is a feminine form of the name Elias or Elijah, which has Hebrew roots and means "Yahweh is God."
The earliest recorded use of the name Elza dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, when it was popular among the Germanic and Scandinavian nobility. It was particularly common in regions like Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Elza was Elza von Büren, a German noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for the construction of churches and monasteries in her region.
In the 16th century, another notable Elza was Elza von Pfalz-Simmern, a German princess and the daughter of Duke Johann I of Pfalz-Simmern. She was born in 1537 and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, supporting the Lutheran cause and providing protection to reformers in her territory.
During the 17th century, Elza Dorothea von Sachsen-Zeitz, born in 1625, was a German noblewoman and the daughter of Duke Christian I of Saxe-Zeitz. She was known for her artistic talents and her patronage of the arts.
In the 18th century, Elza Margaretha von Anhalt-Dessau, born in 1718, was a German princess and a member of the House of Ascania. She was renowned for her literary works and her support for educational institutions.
Another notable Elza from the 19th century was Elza von Hagenow, a German writer and poet born in 1832. She gained recognition for her poems and short stories, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
While the name Elza has its roots in Germanic and Scandinavian cultures, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world over the centuries, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its historical significance and connection to nobility and the arts remain an integral part of its legacy.
People
Elza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elza 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
Elza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 756 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elza 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 453,379 US residents.
Is Elza a common name?
We classify Elza as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,934 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elza most popular?
The single biggest year for Elza was 1921, when 85 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elza is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elza a male name?
Yes, 71.9% of people registered as Elza 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.
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.