Elgin is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Elgin means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Elgin across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Elgin has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Elgin is a boy name of Scottish (Gaelic) origin meaning “little Ireland, or noble”. A Scottish place name used as a given name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,002 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Elgin per year, United States (1886 to 2025). United States peaked in 1927 (78/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2011 (4/yr).
Elgin is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1927, when it ranked #1,521 nationally (given to 78 babies that year).
Elgene · Algene · Algean · Algin · Elgina · Elijan
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →