How Many People Are Named Elisha?
An estimated 25,743 people in the United States have the first name Elisha. It is used for both genders, with 51.7% male. The average bearer is 31 years old, and Elisha peaked in popularity in 1980 with 736 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Elisha as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Elisha paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Elisha is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
Estimated Living Americans
25,743
About 1 in 13,314 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Male
51.7% confidence
Average Age
31
years old
Peak Year
1980
736 births
Total Registered
29,647
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Elisha
Elisha is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (51.7%) and females (48.3%). Out of 29,647 total births registered, 15,340 were male and 14,307 were female.
Elisha as a male name
Ranked #847 in 2024
284 male births in 2024
Peak: 2008 (392 births)
Elisha as a female name
Ranked #2,038 in 2024
95 female births in 2024
Peak: 1980 (624 births)
Elisha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 21,425 people with the first name Elisha, which placed it at #1,535 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Elisha was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 21,425 people with this name in that snapshot, 43.4% were male and 56.6% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 51.7% of the time.
Census Count
21,425
people with this name
Census Rank
#1,535
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
7.09
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Elisha was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (48.37%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (26.67%) and Hispanic (12.71%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Elisha in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Elisha.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 48.37% | 10,362 |
| Black | 26.67% | 5,714 |
| Hispanic | 12.71% | 2,724 |
| Two or More Races | 6.18% | 1,324 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 4.96% | 1,063 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.11% | 237 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Elisha: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Elisha span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1980s, when 5,835 babies were registered. While Elisha is less common than at its peak in the 1980s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Elisha by Decade
How has Elisha tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 336 | 336 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 256 | 256 | 0 | |
| 1900s | 216 | 216 | 0 | |
| 1910s | 554 | 549 | 5 | |
| 1920s | 780 | 780 | 0 | |
| 1930s | 538 | 538 | 0 | |
| 1940s | 503 | 472 | 31 | |
| 1950s | 483 | 401 | 82 | |
| 1960s | 862 | 262 | 600 | |
| 1970s | 3,343 | 601 | 2,742 | |
| 1980s | 5,835 | 994 | 4,841 | |
| 1990s | 4,420 | 1,920 | 2,500 | |
| 2000s | 5,169 | 3,461 | 1,708 | |
| 2010s | 4,525 | 3,150 | 1,375 | |
| 2020s | 1,827 | 1,404 | 423 | |
Elisha by State
Birth registrations for Elisha span all 48 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in North Dakota, District of Columbia, Vermont. On average, about 441 Elishas were registered per state.
Elisha + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Elisha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Elisha
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Elisha: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elisha?
We estimate approximately 25,743 people named Elisha are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 13,314 Americans share this first name.
Is Elisha a common name?
Elisha is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 29,647 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Elisha most popular?
Elisha reached peak popularity in 1980, when 736 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Elisha is approximately 31 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Elisha in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 21,425 people with the first name Elisha. That placed it at #1,535 in the published Census first-name tables, or 7.09 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Elisha was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Elisha?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Elisha was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 43.4% male and 56.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Elisha?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Elisha was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (48.37%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (26.67%) and Hispanic (12.71%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Elisha a male name?
Elisha is predominantly male. 51.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Elisha have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Elisha peaked in 1980, and the average living bearer is about 31 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Elisha Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Elisha Smith, Elisha Johnson, Elisha Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me