Given name
Elmina
“one who is widely known”
Elmina is used as a given name. One interpretation is “one who is widely known.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “one who is widely known.”
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Elmina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 834
- 0 boys · 834 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 26 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #8,512 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +29%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,512 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 29.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 26 in 1916. In 2025, Ohio had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 489 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elmina’s family of names
Elmina has a related form in Elmeana. Elmina has a related form in Elmeanah. Elmina has a related form in Elmeena.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elmeanahvariant
- Elmeanavariant
- Elmienahvariant
- Elmienavariant
- Elmeinahvariant
- Elmeinavariant
- Elmeenevariant
- Elmynevariant
Show 6 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Elmina
- Elmina M. Roys GavittAmerican physician; medical journal founder, editor-in-chief (1828-1898)
- Elmina MoisanChilean painter (1897-1938)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Elmina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Idona
“a fresh-faced woman” · “a hardworking man”
>99% girls
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“a-truthful woman; one who can be trusted”
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Aldea
“one who is wealthy and prosperous”
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Ina
“an illuminated man”
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Rella
“from a foreign land”
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Eulalia
“well-spoken”
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Edolia
“a woman of good humor”
>99% girls