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Elton

♂ Boy

Pronounced EHL-tuhn /ˈɛl.tən/Medium

Meaning: Ella's townMedium

In 30 seconds: Elton is an English boy's name meaning 'Ella's town'. It began as a place name describing a settlement linked to someone named Ella.
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Origin MediumEnglish, Portuguese, Albanian
MeaningElla's town
U.S. rank (2024)#2074 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births72 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 21,292

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018802024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

The name comes from English place-naming, combining a personal name with the word for a town or settlement, giving the literal sense of Ella's town. Like many such names, it crossed over from a location to a surname and then to a given name. Its most famous bearer by far is the British singer and pianist Elton John.

Elton has a tidy, two-beat shape that ends on that crisp -ton ending shared with many English place names. Elton John's fame has done much to keep the name in circulation as a first name rather than just a surname.

Did you know? Elton likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Elton — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Elton John (1947–present)
    British singer, pianist and composer, one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

If you like Elton…

Alton— Another English -ton place name turned given name, with a near-identical sound to Elton.
Dalton— Shares the same English place-name origin and the -ton ending.
Ellis— Opens on the same El- sound and likewise moved from surname to first name in English.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Elton mean?

Elton is usually explained as meaning 'Ella's town' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Elton?

It's commonly said EHL-tuhn /ˈɛl.tən/.

Is Elton a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Elton is used as a boy name.

How popular is Elton?

In 2024, Elton ranked #2074 in the U.S. for boys, with 72 births recorded.