UK girl's name
Elsie
A diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Elsie is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Elsie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #10, with 1,727 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 1,875 births.
This profile covers 23,671 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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.
The latest count is about 92% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 25,038 living people in the UK are called Elsie. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Elsie ranked #10 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,727 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 1,875 girls were registered as Elsie.
- • Elsie ranks best in Yorkshire and The Humber in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #5 in 2024.
- • About 25,038 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elsie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#10
2024
Births in 2024
1,727
Latest year
Peak year
2018
1,875 births
Estimated living
25,038
2026
Meaning
What does Elsie mean?
The name Elsie has its origins in the Old German language, derived from the name Alis or Alice. It is a diminutive form of the Germanic name Adaliz, composed of the elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "lind" meaning "serpent." The name first appeared in the 9th century and was brought to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Elsie can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript dating back to 1086, which recorded the names of landowners in England. In the book, there is an entry for an individual named "Aelfsige," which is believed to be an early version of the name Elsie.
Historically, the name Elsie has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most prominent was Queen Elsie of Merania (c. 1180-1233), who was the wife of King Valdemar II of Denmark and played a significant role in Danish politics during the 13th century.
Another notable figure with the name Elsie was Elsie Inglis (1864-1917), a Scottish physician and surgeon who founded several hospitals and medical facilities for women. She was a pioneering figure in the field of medicine and played a crucial role in providing medical care during World War I.
In the world of literature, Elsie Dinsmore is the title character of a series of children's novels written by Martha Finley in the late 19th century. The books, which were popular at the time, followed the life and adventures of a young girl named Elsie Dinsmore.
Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950), an American actress and interior decorator, was also a notable figure with this name. She was widely regarded as one of the first professional interior designers and was influential in shaping the modern interior design industry.
Another significant Elsie was Elsie Scheel (1905-1989), a Danish writer and children's book author who wrote several popular books for young readers, including the series about the character Kathrine.
While these are just a few examples, the name Elsie has been used throughout history by various individuals from different backgrounds and professions, each leaving their mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance associated with this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Elsie over time
The chart below shows babies named Elsie registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Elsie, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,727 births in 2024, compared with 1,875 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elsie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elsie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #15 | 8,764 | 5 |
| 2010s | #48 | 13,226 | 10 |
| 2000s | #380 | 1,540 | 10 |
| 1990s | #691 | 141 | 4 |
Geography
Where Elsie is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Elsie. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Elsie ranks best in Yorkshire and The Humber in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #5 in 2024.
Across the UK
Elsie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#31 in 2024
22 years of NRS records, 983 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#27 in 2024
17 years of NISRA records, 496 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Elsie
-
Elsie Owusu
architect
Ghana-born British architect
1953-
-
Elsie Tu
teacher; politician; missionary; social activist
Hong Kong politician and social activist (1913-2015)
1913-2015
-
Elsie Widdowson
nutritionist
British nutritionist (1906–2000)
1906-2000
-
Elsie Borders
activist
Borders (née Kreher), Elsie Florence Eva [Elsy] (1905–1971), housing activist
1905-1971
-
Elsie Wisdom
racing automobile driver
Wisdom [née Gleed], Elsie Mary [Bill] (1904–1972), racing driver
1904-1972
-
Elsie Randolph
actor; film actor
British actress
1904-1982
-
Elsie Wright
photographer
English photographer (1901–1988)
1901-1988
-
Elsie Wagstaff
actor; film actor
British actress (1899-1985)
1899-1985
Related
Names similar to Elsie
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Emilia 22,167
- Esme 20,606
FAQ
Elsie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Elsie in the UK right now?
In 2024, Elsie was ranked #10 for girls in England and Wales, with 1,727 births registered.
When was Elsie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 1,875 babies registered as Elsie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Elsie?
A diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning "consecrated to God".
How many people are called Elsie in the UK?
A total of 23,671 babies have been registered as Elsie across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 983 more in Scotland and 496 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Elsie most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Elsie ranks best in Yorkshire and The Humber, where it placed #5 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.