Elder
A boys’ name of Old English origin, meaning elder tree; the senior one.
Babies a year
44
the US, 2017
Rarity
Very rare
among names in use
US popularity
—
outside the top 1000
UK popularity
—
outside the ONS list
Elder by the numbers
Elder was given to 44 American babies in 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
Its American peak was 56 babies in 2006, making it a 2000s name.
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Elder. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
Other names that mean a tree
Like Elder, each of these has a tree in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Oliverolive tree; peace3,154 in England and Wales (2025)
- Hazelthe hazel tree; hazel-eyed5,019 in the US (2017)
- Rowanlittle red one; the rowan tree1,398 in England and Wales (2025)
- Willowthe willow tree; grace, flexibility1,384 in England and Wales (2025)
- Ashtonash tree settlement3,129 in the US (2017)
- Ashleyash tree meadow2,549 in the US (2017)
Names about as common as Elder
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