Effie
Effie was the 2245th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 82 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 55th; the most babies were born in 1919 (929). Over the last ten years it has moved up 854 places. More babies were named Effie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Euphemia; "well spoken of" · Greek, English, Scottish
Say it EF-ee /ˈɛfi/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,245 girls, up 448 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 82girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1919929 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,497babies recorded
What does the name Effie mean?
Effie is a pet form of Euphemia, especially in Scotland, and was often given as a full name in the 19th century. Euphemia is Greek, from eu, "good, well", and phēmē, "speech, fame", so roughly "of good report". DMNES lists a 4th-century saint and several medieval queens named Euphemia, including queens of Scotland. Wikipedia notes Effie is also used for the modern Greek names Efthymia and Eftychia. Effie was most common in the US from the 1880s to the 1920s.
εὖ (Ancient Greek, “good, well”)φημί (Ancient Greek, “to speak”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Euphemia, Effy, Phemie.
See also: Greek names, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Effie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Euphemia', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Effie', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Effie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 241 since 1883.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,245 | 82 |
| 2020 | #2,693 | 62 |
| 2010 | #5,011 | 28 |
| 2000 | #6,020 | 18 |
| 1990 | #4,152 | 24 |
| 1980 | #2,133 | 48 |
| 1970 | #1,335 | 79 |
| 1960 | #1,098 | 96 |
| 1950 | #619 | 185 |
| 1940 | #399 | 290 |
| 1930 | #301 | 488 |
| 1920 | #214 | 895 |
| 1910 | #143 | 572 |
| 1900 | #89 | 752 |
| 1890 | #66 | 717 |
| 1880 | #63 | 406 |
How popular is Effie, counting every spelling?
Effie is the most common spelling of a name family that had 82 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 82 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effie | 82 | #2,245 | 402 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Effie?
82 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Effie (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Effie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 102 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Effie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Effie?
About 6,200 people born in the US named Effie are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 44 and 81. That makes Effie a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Effie by state
How common Effie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 39 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Effie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Effie, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Effie
What does Effie mean?
Effie means “pet form of Euphemia; "well spoken of"” (Greek, English, Scottish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Effie?
Effie was the 2245th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 82 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 55th; the most babies were born in 1919 (929). Over the last ten years it has moved up 854 places. More babies were named Effie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Effie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Effie in the US.
Where is Effie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Effie was most common in Indiana (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Colorado.