UK boy's name
Elmo
A shortened form of the German name Ellmohuoch, meaning "leader prince.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Elmo is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Elmo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3095, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 5 births.
This profile covers 8 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1997 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Elmo is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 8 living people in the UK are called Elmo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Elmo ranked #3095 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 5 boys were registered as Elmo.
- • About 8 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elmo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3095
2007
Births in 2007
5
Latest year
Peak year
2007
5 births
Estimated living
8
2026
Meaning
What does Elmo mean?
The name Elmo has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old German words "alja" meaning "other" and "muot" meaning "courage" or "spirit." The combination of these words formed the name "Ellemoet" or "Elmo," which can be interpreted as "foreign courage" or "strange spirit."
In the early medieval period, the name Elmo was prevalent among the Germanic tribes of central and northern Europe. It was commonly used by the Franks, Saxons, and other Germanic peoples during the 6th to 8th centuries AD. The name's popularity spread as these tribes migrated and established settlements across Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elmo can be found in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century. Bede mentions an individual named Elmo who was a prominent figure in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Elmo was associated with several notable figures. Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus or Saint Elmo, was a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD and is revered as the patron saint of sailors. The phenomenon of St. Elmo's Fire, a weather phenomenon involving luminous plasma, is named after him.
In the 11th century, Elmo de Monforten was a French knight who fought in the First Crusade and participated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Another notable bearer of the name was Elmo von Hutten, a German knight and poet who lived in the 15th century and was known for his satirical works criticizing the Catholic Church.
During the Renaissance period, Elmo Biliotti was an Italian painter and architect active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is best known for his work on the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence and his frescoes in the church of Santa Maria Novella.
In the 19th century, Elmo Lincoln was an American actor and film producer, best remembered for portraying the title role in the 1918 silent film "Tarzan of the Apes." He was born in 1889 and passed away in 1952.
While the name Elmo has maintained a presence throughout history, it has become less common in modern times, especially in English-speaking countries. However, it continues to be used in various forms and variations across different cultures and languages.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Elmo over time
The chart below shows babies named Elmo registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Elmo, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2007, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elmo by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elmo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3095 | 5 | 1 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Elmo
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Elmo: questions and answers
How popular is the name Elmo in the UK right now?
In 2007, Elmo was ranked #3095 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Elmo most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 5 babies registered as Elmo in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Elmo?
A shortened form of the German name Ellmohuoch, meaning "leader prince.".
How many people are called Elmo in the UK?
A total of 8 babies have been registered as Elmo across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.