Elvira
Elvira was the 1715th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 119 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 254th; the most babies were born in 1920 (592). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,552 places. More babies were named Elvira in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Spanish, Gothic
Say it el-VY-ruh /ɛlˈvaɪrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,715 girls, up 842 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 119girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1920592 babies
- Total since 1880
- 27,278babies recorded
What does the name Elvira mean?
Elvira is a medieval Spanish royal name, probably of Gothic origin, but its meaning is debated; Wiktionary suggests Gothic words for "joy" and "true", but marks this as uncertain. The name became known outside Spain through Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni (1787). In the US it was most common in the 1910s and 1920s.
*gailjan + *wērei (Gothic, “"joyful sincerity" (one proposal)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Gothic origin is probable; the meaning is debated.
Related names: Elvia, Elva, Elvie.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elvira', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Elvira', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Elvira popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 44 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,715 | 119 |
| 2020 | #2,557 | 67 |
| 2010 | #3,765 | 41 |
| 2000 | #1,804 | 96 |
| 1990 | #1,100 | 159 |
| 1980 | #1,098 | 126 |
| 1970 | #877 | 152 |
| 1960 | #742 | 189 |
| 1950 | #545 | 230 |
| 1940 | #440 | 239 |
| 1930 | #304 | 480 |
| 1920 | #268 | 592 |
| 1910 | #263 | 213 |
| 1900 | #279 | 135 |
| 1890 | #315 | 64 |
| 1880 | #283 | 30 |
How popular is Elvira, counting every spelling?
Elvira has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,550 for girls in 2025, against #1,715 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Elvira?
119 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elvira (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elvira 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 70 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elvira.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elvira?
About 10,500 people born in the US named Elvira are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 36 and 73. That makes Elvira 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.
Elvira by state
How common Elvira was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.7×). In 43 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 Elvira: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elvira, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elvira · Sibling names for Elvira
Questions about the name Elvira
What does Elvira mean?
The origin of Elvira is uncertain: Gothic origin is probable; the meaning is debated.
How popular is the name Elvira?
Elvira was the 1715th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 119 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 254th; the most babies were born in 1920 (592). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,552 places. More babies were named Elvira in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Elvira a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elvira in the US.
Where is Elvira most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elvira was most common in California (0.09 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Arizona.