How Many People Are Named Elmo?
An estimated 2,228 people in the United States have the first name Elmo. It is predominantly male (97.6%). The average bearer is 72 years old, and Elmo peaked in popularity in 1920 with 409 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Elmo as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Elmo paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Elmo is overwhelmingly male, 247 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 72, Elmo is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1964.
Estimated Living Americans
2,228
About 1 in 153,839 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
97.6% confidence
Average Age
72
years old
Peak Year
1920
409 births
Total Registered
10,338
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Elmo
Elmo is predominantly male (97.6%), though 247 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Elmo as a male name
Ranked #12,773 in 2023
5 male births in 2023
Peak: 1920 (397 births)
Elmo as a female name
Ranked #4,436 in 1937
5 female births in 1937
Peak: 1916 (19 births)
Elmo: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Elmo span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 2,987 babies were registered. Elmo has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Elmo by Decade
How has Elmo 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.
Elmo by State
Birth registrations for Elmo span all 35 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky. The lowest are in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado. On average, about 184 Elmos were registered per state.
Elmo + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Elmo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Elmo
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Elmo: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elmo?
We estimate approximately 2,228 people named Elmo 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 153,839 Americans share this first name.
Is Elmo a common name?
Elmo is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.1% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 10,338 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Elmo most popular?
Elmo reached peak popularity in 1920, when 409 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Elmo is approximately 72 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Elmo a male name?
Elmo is predominantly male. 97.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Elmo Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Elmo Smith, Elmo Johnson, Elmo 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.
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