Meaning and history
Elle is a diminutive of Eleanor and other names beginning with El, and it may also be used in reference to the French pronoun elle, meaning “she.” The name rose in popularity partly through Australian model Elle Macpherson (1964–), and in the United States it gained further attention after the 2001 film Legally Blonde, which featured the character Elle Woods. In the United Kingdom, where the name was already fairly common, its use declined soon after the film’s release. A notable bearer is American actress Elle Fanning (1998–).
20062006: 653 births, rank #481
2007: 677 births, rank #475
2008: 642 births, rank #492
2009: 709 births, rank #443
2010: 750 births, rank #420
20112011: 766 births, rank #414
2012: 822 births, rank #383
2013: 749 births, rank #408
2014: 825 births, rank #395
2015: 819 births, rank #397
20162016: 834 births, rank #399
2017: 833 births, rank #375
2018: 817 births, rank #382
2019: 890 births, rank #354
2020: 842 births, rank #370
20212021: 870 births, rank #357
2022: 795 births, rank #393
2023: 702 births, rank #441
2024: 644 births, rank #479
20252025: 668 births, rank #461
Elle rose from #479 to #461 for girls between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2019, with 890 births.