Given name & surname
El
“much debated but ultimately unclear”
El is a unisex given name. It is used in English and Tocharian B.
Original Hebrewאל
Meaning & origin
What it means
As a biblical name, El is thought to mean “much debated but ultimately unclear.”
From biblical name research
Where it comes from
El is a biblical name, probably from Hebrew.
From biblical name research
How it developed
Possibly from the Hebrew word 'el (אל), “has a great many meanings.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
El through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 284
- 246 boys · 38 girls
- Most popular year
- 1928
- 12 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 11 in 2000. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,255 as a first name in 2020; 1,933 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
El’s family of names
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named El
- El AnatsuiGhanaian painter and sculptor (born 1944)
- El Hedi ben SalemMoroccan actor (1935-1976)1936–1976
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love El, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Deuel
“invocation of God”
>99% boys
Agee
“fugitive”
>99% boys
Alvah
“rising”
96% boys · 4% girls
Beno
“his son”
>99% boys
Arba
“four”
75% boys · 25% girls
Gomer
“complete” · “of the good fight”
>99% boys
Ohel
“tent”
>99% boys
Abdeel
“servant of God”
98% boys · 2% girls