Elmo Boy

Popularity: — · Trend: → Stable

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EL-mo /ˈɛlmoʊ/

Origin: Italian; Spanish

Meaning: Italian: 'the helmeted one'; Spanish: diminutive of 'Elías'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Elmo has its roots in the Old High German name "Helm", which means "helmet" or "protection". This name evolved through various linguistic stages, transitioning into the Latin form "Aldhelm" and later into the Italian "Elmo".

The name made its way into English through the influence of Italian and Germanic languages, particularly during the medieval period when names were often adapted and adopted across cultures. The phonetic structure of Elmo reflects a common practice in name formation where elements of protection or safety are emphasized, aligning with its original meaning.

Historically, the name Elmo is associated with Saint Elmo, a Christian martyr from the early centuries of the Church, who is often invoked by sailors for protection during storms. His feast day is celebrated on June 2nd, and he is recognized in various Christian traditions.

The name gained further prominence through the legend of "St. Elmo's Fire," a weather phenomenon that sailors believed to be a sign of the saint's presence, thus reinforcing the name's connection to safety and guidance at sea.

The name has also appeared in various literary works and folklore, contributing to its cultural resonance. In addition to its historical and religious significance, Elmo has been embraced in popular culture, particularly through the character Elmo from the children's television show "Sesame Street," which first aired in the 1960s.

This character, known for his friendly demeanor and educational content, has helped to solidify the name's association with warmth and approachability. The enduring nature of the name Elmo can be attributed to its strong historical roots, cultural associations with protection, and its presence in both religious and popular narratives.

Famous people named Elmo

In this section, you will find notable people named Elmo. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Elmo who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Elmo who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Elmo is a character best known for Sesame Street and Elmo's World.

Fictional characters named Elmo

The following list of fictional characters named Elmo is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Elmo is a fictional character from the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a friendly, red monster known for his high-pitched voice and love of learning.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Elmo, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LeoMiloNemoTheoArloJuno

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Elmo. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AlmoElianEliEmilEnzoHugoIvoLemoRoccoSalmo

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Elmo was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Elmo has ranked as high as #596 nationally, which occurred in 1920, and has been most popular in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Virginia, and Oklahoma.

In the past 5 years the name Elmo has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Elmo is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Elmo was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Elmo.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2023 5 5 0
2021 6 6 0
2013 5 5 0
2009 5 5 0
2003 7 7 0
2001 11 11 0
1999 6 6 0
1998 7 7 0
1997 8 8 0
1996 7 7 0
1994 18 18 0
1993 8 8 0
1992 9 9 0
1991 12 12 0
1990 10 10 0
1989 6 6 0
1988 14 14 0
1987 14 14 0
1986 14 14 0
1985 12 12 0
1984 15 15 0
1983 18 18 0
1982 13 13 0
1981 16 16 0
1980 9 9 0
1979 15 15 0
1978 15 15 0
1977 17 17 0
1976 27 27 0
1975 20 20 0
1974 18 18 0
1973 19 19 0
1972 28 28 0
1971 19 19 0
1970 24 24 0
1969 35 35 0
1968 27 27 0
1967 31 31 0
1966 30 30 0
1965 28 28 0
1964 46 46 0
1963 38 38 0
1962 41 41 0
1961 52 52 0
1960 48 48 0
1959 60 60 0
1958 53 53 0
1957 66 66 0
1956 63 63 0
1955 71 71 0
1954 81 81 0
1953 70 70 0
1952 65 65 0
1951 86 86 0
1950 76 76 0
1949 71 71 0
1948 94 94 0
1947 100 100 0
1946 99 99 0
1945 78 78 0
1944 116 116 0
1943 121 121 0
1942 125 125 0
1941 115 115 0
1940 103 103 0
1939 113 113 0
1938 137 137 0
1937 133 128 5
1936 150 144 6
1935 148 148 0
1934 138 138 0
1933 155 150 5
1932 158 158 0
1931 137 137 0
1930 183 183 0
1929 180 170 10
1928 241 235 6
1927 235 235 0
1926 253 243 10
1925 290 273 17
1924 322 313 9
1923 347 338 9
1922 330 317 13
1921 380 370 10
1920 409 397 12
1919 337 324 13
1918 345 334 11
1917 384 366 18
1916 382 363 19
1915 298 286 12
1914 254 247 7
1913 213 197 16
1912 182 169 13
1911 112 104 8
1910 91 86 5
1909 87 80 7
1908 51 51 0
1907 58 58 0
1906 56 50 6
1905 27 27 0
1904 27 27 0
1903 27 27 0
1902 27 27 0
1901 29 29 0
1900 40 40 0
1899 20 20 0
1898 32 32 0
1897 21 21 0
1896 23 23 0
1895 26 26 0
1894 12 12 0
1893 16 16 0
1892 14 14 0
1891 15 15 0
1890 12 12 0
1889 13 13 0
1888 17 17 0
1887 8 8 0
1886 12 12 0
1885 14 14 0
1884 12 12 0
1883 16 16 0
1882 19 19 0
1881 9 9 0
1880 15 15 0

Top States for Elmo (1994)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 6
100%