Will my child share the name Ela with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 54 UK babies named Ela per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ela in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Ela becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Ela is declining: down 206 places since 2020, to #684 in 2025. It peaked at #372 in 2011.

Is Ela a good choice for a distinctive name?

Ela is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.

Who are some famous people named Ela?

Notable people named Ela include: Ela Gandhi — Ela Gandhi, is a South African peace activist and former politician.

Is Ela a popular baby name in the United States?

Ela does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👧 Girl's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #684

Ela

🗳️ Add Ela to a family shortlist

Ela is a distinctive choice, ranked #684 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ela in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#684

About the Name Ela

Ela has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 192 places in five years. It was most popular in 2011 at #372 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.

Ela is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ela in their class.

⭐ Famous People Named Ela

Ela Bhatt — Ela Ramesh Bhatt was an Indian cooperative organiser, activist and Gandhian, who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972, and served as its general secretary from 1972 to 1996.
Ela Gandhi — Ela Gandhi, is a South African peace activist and former politician.
Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury — Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury was an English peeress.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the name Ela

UK babies named Ela (2025)

< 1

Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)

~0.0

In a school of 600

↓ 206 places

Rank change (last 5 years)

🏫 Who else is in the room?

In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ela

Almost certainly the only Ela in the class

UK Popularity (1996–2025)

Rank and birth count · ONS official data

No US data available for this name

✨ Similar names to Ela

Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story

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Famous People Named Ela

Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia

Ela Bhattb. 1972

Ela Ramesh Bhatt was an Indian cooperative organiser, activist and Gandhian, who founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972, and served as its general secretary from 1972 to 1996.

Ela Gandhi1940

Ela Gandhi, is a South African peace activist and former politician.

Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of SalisburyHistorical

Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury was an English peeress.

Ela Longespee

Ela Longespee, Lady of Ashby was a wealthy heiress and daughter of Stephen Longespée, Justiciar of Ireland, and Emmeline de Riddlesford, granddaughter of Walter de Riddlesford.

Ela