NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Elson

Of English origin meaning "son of the elder man or elder son".

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.

Elson is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Elson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 7 births.

This profile covers 67 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2000 to 2024. 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.

The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 67 living people in the UK are called Elson. 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

  • Elson ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 7 boys were registered as Elson.
  • About 67 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2017

7 births

Estimated living

67

2026

Meaning

What does Elson mean?

The name Elson is of English origin, derived from the Old English name Ælfsige, which means "elf victory" or "victorious elf." The name was popular during the Anglo-Saxon period, particularly between the 7th and 11th centuries.

Elson can be traced back to the Old English elements "ælf" meaning "elf" or "supernatural being," and "sige" meaning "victory" or "conquest." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would be victorious or successful in their endeavors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elson can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions an individual named Elson, who held land in the county of Wiltshire.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Elson de Hauville was recorded as a knight and landowner in Normandy, France. He was known for his participation in the Third Crusade, which took place between 1189 and 1192.

During the 13th century, an English scholar and theologian named Elson of Tewkesbury gained recognition for his contributions to the study of canon law. He was associated with the University of Oxford and is believed to have lived between 1220 and 1290.

In the 16th century, Elson Blunt was a prominent English navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. Blunt was born around 1550 and played a crucial role in the expedition's success.

Another notable figure with the name Elson was Elson Brewster, an English Puritan who was among the first settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. He was born in 1593 and arrived in the New World aboard the Mayflower in 1620, becoming one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.

While the name Elson has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it continues to carry the essence of its Old English roots, representing victory, success, and a connection to the supernatural realm of elves.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Elson over time

The chart below shows babies named Elson registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 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 Elson, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Elson
02457200020122024

Decades

Elson by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elson 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 #4611 10 3
2010s #3212 44 8
2000s #3886 13 4

Related

Names similar to Elson

FAQ

Elson: questions and answers

How popular is the name Elson in the UK right now?

In 2024, Elson was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Elson most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 7 babies registered as Elson in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Elson?

Of English origin meaning "son of the elder man or elder son".

How many people are called Elson in the UK?

A total of 67 babies have been registered as Elson across the 15 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.