Elliot as a girl's name is a genuine statement, a traditionally male surname-turned-given-name that's been crossing gender lines with increasing confidence. At rank 944 with 6,765 total SSA records, it sits in the growing space of names that parents are actively choosing for daughters rather than finding there by accident.
Hebrew Roots Through a Scottish Filter
Elliot derives from a Scottish surname that evolved from the Hebrew name Elijah — Eliyahu in Hebrew, meaning "my God is Yahweh." The path ran from Elijah through the medieval English Elias, then through Scotland where it became a clan surname and eventually a given name. The one-T spelling (vs. Elliott with two Ts) is the form that skews more gender-fluid in current American data — Elliott with two Ts remains more solidly masculine in usage patterns. Among Hebrew-derived names, Elliot carries the theological root of one of the Hebrew Bible's most dramatic prophetic figures.
The Gender-Neutral Trajectory
Elliot on girls peaked in 2019 and has been holding steady — which is actually a more sustainable pattern than a sharp spike followed by a crash. Names that cross gender gradually and stabilize tend to hold their position longer than those that become viral overnight. It sits in company with Charlie, Quinn, and Emerson as names that are now genuinely shared across genders. For parents who specifically want a name that defies easy gender-assignment, Elliot is one of the more established options in that space. Browse rising names to see the broader gender-neutral trend.
Counter-Reading: It's Still Predominantly Male
Despite its presence on girls' charts, Elliott and Elliot combined are still primarily used for boys in US data. Parents choosing Elliot for a daughter should expect that most people who see the name in writing will assume a boy before meeting the child. That's either a feature (you value gender ambiguity) or something to consider (you want your daughter's name to read female immediately). There's no objectively right answer — but it's worth deciding deliberately rather than by default. Compare Elliot vs. Eleanor if you want the El- sound in a clearly feminine frame.