Elwood
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- EL-wud
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,771 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,919 for boys
Elwood is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “elder tree wood”. In 2025 it ranked 1,771st for boys in the UK (15 babies) and 1,919th for boys in the US (81 babies).
What does Elwood mean?
English: English place name and surname
“elder tree wood”
From an English place name and surname; Elwood P. Dowd is the gentle hero of the play and film Harvey.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Elwood a girl's or a boy's name?
Elwood is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 15 boys in the UK and 81 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Elwood in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,771st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 15 about 1 in 20,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 44% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 15 boys in the UK were named Elwood, making it the 1,771st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,150th. Its busiest year was 2018, with 39 boys.
Half of all the boys named Elwood in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,703rd in England and Wales.
Elwood in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #1,771 |
| 2024 | 25 | #1,198 |
| 2023 | 13 | #1,917 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,312 |
| 2021 | 34 | #977 |
| 2020 | 26 | #1,150 |
| 2019 | 29 | #1,061 |
| 2018 | 39 | #875 |
| 2017 | 34 | #985 |
| 2016 | 36 | #939 |
| 2015 | 31 | #1,025 |
| 2014 | 33 | #969 |
| 2013 | 28 | #1,069 |
| 2012 | 37 | #905 |
| 2011 | 25 | #1,125 |
| 2010 | 31 | #994 |
| 2009 | 15 | #1,582 |
| 2008 | 12 | #1,810 |
| 2007 | 14 | #1,605 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 2 | #5,064 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
How popular is Elwood in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,919th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 81 about 1 in 21,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 69% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 81 boys in the US were named Elwood, making it the 1,919th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,845th. Its busiest year was 1921, with 613 boys.
2025 had more boys named Elwood than any year since 1964.
Half of all the boys named Elwood in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1945, the years shaded on the chart below.
Elwood in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 | #1,919 |
| 2024 | 71 | #2,098 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3,004 |
| 2022 | 43 | #2,917 |
| 2021 | 50 | #2,587 |
| 2020 | 42 | #2,845 |
| 2019 | 33 | #3,423 |
| 2018 | 39 | #2,992 |
| 2017 | 43 | #2,797 |
| 2016 | 51 | #2,477 |
| 2015 | 52 | #2,428 |
| 2014 | 36 | #3,088 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3,580 |
| 2012 | 20 | #4,682 |
| 2011 | 17 | #5,196 |
| 2010 | 19 | #4,845 |
| 2009 | 15 | #5,796 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,388 |
| 2007 | 13 | #6,259 |
| 2006 | 11 | #6,899 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6,628 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6,132 |
| 2003 | 10 | #6,708 |
| 2002 | 5 | #10,660 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6,006 |
| 2000 | 14 | #5,034 |
| 1999 | 15 | #4,531 |
| 1998 | 15 | #4,409 |
| 1997 | 15 | #4,241 |
| 1996 | 17 | #3,824 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 15 | #4,088 |
| 1993 | 11 | #4,995 |
| 1992 | 11 | #4,864 |
| 1991 | 20 | #3,099 |
| 1990 | 20 | #3,052 |
| 1989 | 29 | #2,286 |
| 1988 | 17 | #3,074 |
| 1987 | 17 | #2,938 |
| 1986 | 21 | #2,508 |
| 1985 | 17 | #2,825 |
| 1984 | 17 | #2,705 |
| 1983 | 19 | #2,492 |
| 1982 | 30 | #1,849 |
| 1981 | 32 | #1,765 |
| 1980 | 34 | #1,695 |
| 1979 | 33 | #1,711 |
| 1978 | 42 | #1,438 |
| 1977 | 25 | #1,948 |
| 1976 | 41 | #1,390 |
| 1975 | 37 | #1,455 |
| 1974 | 39 | #1,370 |
| 1973 | 50 | #1,163 |
| 1972 | 43 | #1,262 |
| 1971 | 57 | #1,081 |
| 1970 | 54 | #1,117 |
| 1969 | 65 | #951 |
| 1968 | 66 | #884 |
| 1967 | 69 | #862 |
| 1966 | 77 | #830 |
| 1965 | 75 | #847 |
| 1964 | 103 | #753 |
| 1963 | 93 | #790 |
| 1962 | 108 | #738 |
| 1961 | 104 | #754 |
| 1960 | 120 | #713 |
| 1959 | 120 | #701 |
| 1958 | 131 | #666 |
| 1957 | 144 | #638 |
| 1956 | 153 | #610 |
| 1955 | 157 | #584 |
| 1954 | 192 | #524 |
| 1953 | 164 | #550 |
| 1952 | 194 | #501 |
| 1951 | 208 | #470 |
| 1950 | 179 | #497 |
| 1949 | 206 | #458 |
| 1948 | 239 | #433 |
| 1947 | 270 | #416 |
| 1946 | 239 | #411 |
| 1945 | 223 | #402 |
| 1944 | 253 | #376 |
| 1943 | 287 | #362 |
| 1942 | 285 | #358 |
| 1941 | 303 | #331 |
| 1940 | 288 | #336 |
| 1939 | 280 | #331 |
| 1938 | 315 | #309 |
| 1937 | 326 | #298 |
| 1936 | 299 | #309 |
| 1935 | 314 | #305 |
| 1934 | 375 | #277 |
| 1933 | 385 | #268 |
| 1932 | 375 | #281 |
| 1931 | 422 | #269 |
| 1930 | 462 | #260 |
| 1929 | 405 | #275 |
| 1928 | 479 | #258 |
| 1927 | 534 | #244 |
| 1926 | 542 | #240 |
| 1925 | 571 | #229 |
| 1924 | 606 | #221 |
| 1923 | 566 | #234 |
| 1922 | 592 | #227 |
| 1921 | 613 | #215 |
| 1920 | 586 | #220 |
| 1919 | 589 | #211 |
| 1918 | 572 | #215 |
| 1917 | 528 | #212 |
| 1916 | 526 | #210 |
| 1915 | 529 | #204 |
| 1914 | 373 | #215 |
| 1913 | 322 | #206 |
| 1912 | 262 | #212 |
| 1911 | 114 | #237 |
| 1910 | 93 | #249 |
| 1909 | 66 | #279 |
| 1908 | 59 | #281 |
| 1907 | 52 | #294 |
| 1906 | 49 | #286 |
| 1905 | 36 | #337 |
| 1904 | 52 | #264 |
| 1903 | 58 | #239 |
| 1902 | 33 | #337 |
| 1901 | 48 | #249 |
| 1900 | 51 | #290 |
| 1899 | 34 | #300 |
| 1898 | 35 | #324 |
| 1897 | 49 | #249 |
| 1896 | 35 | #315 |
| 1895 | 43 | #269 |
| 1894 | 33 | #306 |
| 1893 | 29 | #323 |
| 1892 | 40 | #289 |
| 1891 | 34 | #277 |
| 1890 | 24 | #358 |
| 1889 | 29 | #322 |
| 1888 | 31 | #324 |
| 1887 | 24 | #333 |
| 1886 | 31 | #309 |
| 1885 | 28 | #318 |
| 1884 | 26 | #344 |
| 1883 | 24 | #337 |
| 1882 | 29 | #317 |
| 1881 | 29 | #296 |
| 1880 | 23 | #356 |
Names like Elwood
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Edward, Wilfred, Stanley, Chester, Alfred, Archie, Arthur, Rupert, Otis, Louie, Ollie, Harris
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Elwood: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/elwood, updated 20 October 2026.