Elijah Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ih-LIE-jah /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/
Origin: Hebrew; English
Meaning: Hebrew: My God is Yahweh
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Elijah originates from the Hebrew name אֵלִיָּהוּ (Eliyahu), which translates to "My God is Yahweh." The name is composed of two elements: "El," meaning God, and "Yah," a shortened form of Yahweh, the personal name of the God of Israel. The transition of the name into English occurred through the Greek form Ἠλίας (Elias) and the Latin form Elias, which were used in early Christian texts.
The name was adopted into Old French as Élie before finally entering Middle English as Elijah, particularly through the influence of the Bible and religious texts during the Middle Ages. Elijah is a significant biblical figure, known as a prophet in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the books of Kings, where he appears prominently in the 9th century BCE.
He is celebrated for his role in defending the worship of Yahweh against the Canaanite deity Baal and is associated with miracles and prophetic acts. The name gained further prominence through the Christian tradition, where Elijah is recognized as a precursor to John the Baptist and is mentioned in the New Testament.
The translation of the Bible into various languages, including the King James Version in the early 17th century, helped solidify the name's presence in Christian contexts. Culturally, Elijah has been a symbol of faith and divine intervention, often associated with themes of hope and redemption.
In Jewish tradition, Elijah is expected to return as a forerunner of the Messiah, making his name resonate deeply within religious practices and beliefs. The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Eli, which have been used in different cultures.
Overall, the enduring legacy of Elijah reflects its deep roots in religious history and its continued significance in various cultural narratives.
Famous people named Elijah
In this section, you will find notable people named Elijah. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Elijah who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Elijah who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Elijah Wood is an actor best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Wilfred.
Elijah Kelley is an actor and singer best known for Hairspray, The Butler, and The Wiz Live!
Elijah Jordan Wood is a voice actor best known for his role as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings video games.
Fictional characters named Elijah
The following list of fictional characters named Elijah is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Elijah Mikaelson is a fictional character from the TV series The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals. He is a member of the Original vampire family and often serves as a protector of his loved ones, showcasing a complex moral code.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Elijah, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Elijah. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Elijah was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Elijah has ranked as high as #19 nationally, which occurred in 2011, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Georgia.
In the past 5 years the name Elijah has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Elijah is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Elijah was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Elijah (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 1,434 | |
| CA | 1,257 | |
| FL | 841 | |
| GA | 412 | |
| NC | 411 | |
| NY | 402 | |
| OH | 377 | |
| PA | 331 | |
| TN | 322 | |
| MI | 311 | |
| VA | 308 | |
| IL | 280 | |
| IN | 265 | |
| AZ | 259 | |
| WA | 244 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Elijah.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 11,171 |
| 2023 | 11,503 |
| 2022 | 12,075 |
| 2021 | 12,825 |
| 2020 | 13,224 |
| 2019 | 13,428 |
| 2018 | 13,012 |
| 2017 | 13,444 |
| 2016 | 13,970 |
| 2015 | 13,707 |
| 2014 | 13,881 |
| 2013 | 13,826 |
| 2012 | 13,909 |
| 2011 | 13,997 |
| 2010 | 13,919 |
| 2009 | 12,845 |
| 2008 | 13,239 |
| 2007 | 12,424 |
| 2006 | 12,055 |
| 2005 | 11,612 |
| 2004 | 11,714 |
| 2003 | 10,665 |
| 2002 | 10,053 |
| 2001 | 8,339 |
| 2000 | 7,472 |
| 1999 | 6,596 |
| 1998 | 5,662 |
| 1997 | 5,089 |
| 1996 | 4,818 |
| 1995 | 3,976 |
| 1994 | 2,621 |
| 1993 | 1,882 |
| 1992 | 1,523 |
| 1991 | 1,345 |
| 1990 | 1,139 |
| 1989 | 991 |
| 1988 | 886 |
| 1987 | 746 |
| 1986 | 718 |
| 1985 | 681 |
| 1984 | 631 |
| 1983 | 671 |
| 1982 | 739 |
| 1981 | 750 |
| 1980 | 754 |
| 1979 | 696 |
| 1978 | 548 |
| 1977 | 504 |
| 1976 | 302 |
| 1975 | 263 |
| 1974 | 288 |
| 1973 | 212 |
| 1972 | 209 |
| 1971 | 196 |
| 1970 | 184 |
| 1969 | 143 |
| 1968 | 122 |
| 1967 | 134 |
| 1966 | 140 |
| 1965 | 122 |
| 1964 | 161 |
| 1963 | 149 |
| 1962 | 179 |
| 1961 | 194 |
| 1960 | 180 |
| 1959 | 185 |
| 1958 | 209 |
| 1957 | 218 |
| 1956 | 197 |
| 1955 | 235 |
| 1954 | 254 |
| 1953 | 248 |
| 1952 | 263 |
| 1951 | 223 |
| 1950 | 282 |
| 1949 | 267 |
| 1948 | 244 |
| 1947 | 296 |
| 1946 | 222 |
| 1945 | 237 |
| 1944 | 227 |
| 1943 | 221 |
| 1942 | 245 |
| 1941 | 239 |
| 1940 | 201 |
| 1939 | 237 |
| 1938 | 195 |
| 1937 | 210 |
| 1936 | 221 |
| 1935 | 210 |
| 1934 | 209 |
| 1933 | 198 |
| 1932 | 231 |
| 1931 | 198 |
| 1930 | 226 |
| 1929 | 243 |
| 1928 | 255 |
| 1927 | 290 |
| 1926 | 276 |
| 1925 | 283 |
| 1924 | 261 |
| 1923 | 302 |
| 1922 | 311 |
| 1921 | 257 |
| 1920 | 277 |
| 1919 | 295 |
| 1918 | 264 |
| 1917 | 256 |
| 1916 | 232 |
| 1915 | 243 |
| 1914 | 187 |
| 1913 | 149 |
| 1912 | 142 |
| 1911 | 94 |
| 1910 | 101 |
| 1909 | 90 |
| 1908 | 64 |
| 1907 | 76 |
| 1906 | 65 |
| 1905 | 81 |
| 1904 | 60 |
| 1903 | 58 |
| 1902 | 66 |
| 1901 | 79 |
| 1900 | 86 |
| 1899 | 64 |
| 1898 | 76 |
| 1897 | 65 |
| 1896 | 87 |
| 1895 | 75 |
| 1894 | 54 |
| 1893 | 77 |
| 1892 | 85 |
| 1891 | 57 |
| 1890 | 64 |
| 1889 | 61 |
| 1888 | 88 |
| 1887 | 75 |
| 1886 | 93 |
| 1885 | 82 |
| 1884 | 85 |
| 1883 | 92 |
| 1882 | 111 |
| 1881 | 69 |
| 1880 | 100 |