The first name Elton
A boy’s name from English meaning “eel”, “farm”, “village”.
Pronounced /ˈɛltən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Elton means “eel”, “farm”, “village” in English.
From a number of sources, including: # For the places in Cheshire, County Durham, and Derbyshire, England: from Old English ēl (“eel”) + tūn (“farm, village”) since the village is situated above a small stream. Less likely, from Old English personal name Ella + tūn. # For the place in Cambridgeshire, England: from Middle English Adelintune, from Old English æþeling (“prince”) + tūn (“estate”). # For the place in Gloucestershire, England: from Middle English Elwinton, from Old English personal name Ælfwine + tūn (“estate”). # For the place in Herefordshire, England: from Middle English Elintona, from Old English *æling (“eel fishery”) + tūn (“estate”), in reference to nearby Wigmore Lake. # For the place in Nottinghamshire, England, see Elton on the Hill.
More names that mean king.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 12 boys were named Elton, making it the 2,014th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 21 births (#1,282).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Elton with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Elton at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 60 boys born in the United States were named Elton, the 2,313th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 394 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Elton in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Elton
15 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Elton JohnBritish singer, songwriter and musician (born 1947)
- Elton MayoAustralian psychologist and sociologist, 1880–1949
- Elton BrandAmerican basketball player (born 1979)
- Élton Rodrigues BrandãoBrazilian association football player, born 1985
- Elton DeanBritish saxophonist (1945–2006)
- Elton BrownAmerican basketball player (born 1983)
- Jack Elton BresenhamAmerican computer scientist, born 1937
- Elton AcolatseDutch footballer, born 1995
- Elton GalleglyAmerican politician, born 1944
- Elton KabanguBelgian association football player, born 1998
- Elton BrittCountry music guitarist and singer-songwriter, 1912–1972
- Elton FigueiredoBrazilian footballer, born 1986
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Elton mean?
- Elton means “eel”, “farm”, “village” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Elton?
- From a number of sources, including: # For the places in Cheshire, County Durham, and Derbyshire, England: from Old English ēl (“eel”) + tūn (“farm, village”) since the village is situated above a small stream. Less likely, from Old English personal name Ella + tūn. # For the place in…
- How popular is the name Elton?
- In 2025, 12 boys born in England and Wales were named Elton, ranking 2,014th. Its peak was 2024, with 21 births.
- Is Elton a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 21,553 US babies named Elton since 1880 were boys.
- When was Elton most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 394 babies were named Elton, its highest rank at 281st.
- How do you pronounce Elton?
- Elton is /ˈɛltən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Elton also a surname?
- Yes. Elton is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.