Name of the Day: Elliott
December 11
Elliott
American composer Elliott Cook Carter Jr. — known as Elliott Carter — was born on December 11, 1908 in Manhattan. One of the most respected composers of the 20th century, Elliott’s distinctive compositions are performed throughout the world. Elliott was awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice — in 1960 and 1973.
Elliott is a rare example of a name with numerous “proper” spellings. Elliott and Elliot are the most popular (#168 and #150 last year respectively) but Eliot and Eliott are perfectly legitimate and have a long history as well.
Elliott may bring to mind the adorable little boy in the 80s family film E.T., or the invisible dragon in Disney’s classic Pete’s Dragon.
Today Elliott and all of his variations feel especially chic as names ending in -t take off, with some of the most successful including Wyatt, Everett, Bennett, and Emmett.
And now Elliott is gaining traction as a girl’s name, riding the wave of the popular nickname Ellie as well as the trend of boy names for girls. In 2022, Elliott and Elliot ranked #628 and #728 for girls. Just this November, viral Tiktok couple Kay and Tay gave the name Elliot “Ellie” to their daughter.