Elmira
The feminine name of Persian origin meaning "princess".
Name Census estimates that about 947 living Americans carry the first name Elmira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elmira today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elmira births was 1921 (122 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elmira. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Elmira with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
947
~ 1 in 361,937 Americans
Peak year
1921
122 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,677
Tracked since 1880
Census
Elmira in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,220 people with the first name Elmira, which placed it at #7,025 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,025
National first-name rank
People counted
2.2K
2,220 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
53.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Elmira
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elmira is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Hispanic (7.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Elmira described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Elmira at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.6% · 1,189
- Black or African American27.2% · 603
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 166
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.1% · 158
- Two or more races4.1% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Popularity
Elmira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elmira from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 903 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elmira by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elmira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elmiras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 21 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Alabama recorded the most babies named Elmira, while Minnesota, Arkansas, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elmira
The name Elmira has its roots in the Persian language, originating in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). It is a combination of two Persian words, "elma" meaning "diamond" and "ra" meaning "woman," essentially translating to "diamond woman" or "precious woman."
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Elmira" or "Elmyra," with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring as it spread to different regions and cultures. The name gained popularity during the Sasanian Empire (224-651 AD), which ruled over a vast territory stretching from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and the Middle East.
The name Elmira can be found in various historical records and literature from the region, including mentions in ancient Persian poetry and writings. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name comes from the 6th century AD, where it was borne by a Persian princess named Elmira, the daughter of King Khosrow I (Anushirvan the Just).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Elmira. One of the most famous was Elmira, the beloved wife of the renowned Persian poet Hafez (c. 1315-1390). Hafez wrote numerous poems dedicated to his love for Elmira, though it is uncertain whether she was a real person or a symbolic representation of divine love.
Another prominent figure bearing the name was Elmira Dzhaganian (1922-2009), an Armenian-Iranian writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary scene of her time. Her works explored themes of love, identity, and cultural heritage.
In the realm of classical music, Elmira Nazirova (1928-2008) was a celebrated Azerbaijani-Russian operatic soprano who performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Elmira Minita (1902-1976) was a notable Egyptian actress and singer who rose to prominence during the golden age of Egyptian cinema in the mid-20th century. She starred in numerous films and is remembered for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
Lastly, Elmira Nəzirova (1921-1995) was an influential Azerbaijani actress and drama teacher who played a pivotal role in the development of Azerbaijani theatre. She was honored with numerous accolades for her artistic achievements and dedication to the performing arts.
People
Elmira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elmira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elmira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elmira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 947 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elmira going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 361,937 US residents.
Is Elmira a common name?
We classify Elmira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,349 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elmira most popular?
The single biggest year for Elmira was 1921, when 122 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elmira is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Elmira in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,220 people with the name Elmira, or 0.74 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,025 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Elmira in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Elmira?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Elmira appears almost entirely female. Of the 2,222 people counted with this name, 99.5% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Elmira?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Elmira is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Hispanic (7.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Elmira most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Elmira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.6% (1,189 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Elmira in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elmira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elmira in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Elmira still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elmira in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Elmira can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Elmira?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.