Pronunciation | Elke: German:
[ˈɛlkə], English:
/ˈɛlkə/ Elka: German: [ˈɛlka], English: /ˈɛlkə/ Elkie: English: /ˈɛlki/ Alke: German: [ˈalkə] |
---|---|
Gender | Female |
Language(s) | Low German and East Frisian, Yiddish |
Origin | |
Meaning | "of noble birth" |
Other names | |
Related names | Adelheid, Elkan, Elkanah, Elkie, Elka and Alke |
Popularity | see popular names |
Elke (see panel for pronunciation) is a feminine given name. Different sources give different accounts of its origin. One source describes it as a Low German and East Frisian diminutive of Adelheid, meaning "of noble birth". [1] Another states that it originated as a Yiddish feminine variant of Elkan, which itself came from the Biblical name Elkanah. [2]
In English-speaking countries, the variant Elkie was popularised by the singer Elkie Brooks. [2] Other German variants of the name include Elka and Alke. [1]
In the United States, the 1990 census found that Elke was the 2,588th most common given name for women, being held by about 0.002% of the female population at the time, while the other variants Elkie, Elka, and Alke were not among the names held by at least 0.001% of the female population (the most common 4,275 names). [3]
Pronunciation | Elke: German:
[ˈɛlkə], English:
/ˈɛlkə/ Elka: German: [ˈɛlka], English: /ˈɛlkə/ Elkie: English: /ˈɛlki/ Alke: German: [ˈalkə] |
---|---|
Gender | Female |
Language(s) | Low German and East Frisian, Yiddish |
Origin | |
Meaning | "of noble birth" |
Other names | |
Related names | Adelheid, Elkan, Elkanah, Elkie, Elka and Alke |
Popularity | see popular names |
Elke (see panel for pronunciation) is a feminine given name. Different sources give different accounts of its origin. One source describes it as a Low German and East Frisian diminutive of Adelheid, meaning "of noble birth". [1] Another states that it originated as a Yiddish feminine variant of Elkan, which itself came from the Biblical name Elkanah. [2]
In English-speaking countries, the variant Elkie was popularised by the singer Elkie Brooks. [2] Other German variants of the name include Elka and Alke. [1]
In the United States, the 1990 census found that Elke was the 2,588th most common given name for women, being held by about 0.002% of the female population at the time, while the other variants Elkie, Elka, and Alke were not among the names held by at least 0.001% of the female population (the most common 4,275 names). [3]