Elijah
Meaningmy God is Yahweh · Hebrew
- US rank
- #7
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #4 in 2021
11,111 babies were named Elijah in the US in 2025. It has dropped 3 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Elijah you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Elijah
Elijah Wood
American actor (born 1981)
Choose Elijah and your child shares a first name with Elijah Wood, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Elijah, like who?” Elijah Wood's Wikipedia article is available in 86 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Elijah Wood on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 154 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Elijah, 11,111 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, you'd expect to meet about 2 Elijahs.
- HistoryElijah has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Elijahs, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 2021, when it reached #4.
- Where it's lovedElijah is most popular in Hawaii, where it ranks #1, followed by Arkansas (#4) and Florida (#4). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Hebrew, Elijah means “my God is Yahweh”.
- OriginElijah is the #3 most popular Hebrew boy name in the US. That's out of 1,099 Hebrew boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Elijah
Elijah is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “my God is Yahweh”. It has 6 letters and 3 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-jah”. US birth records list Elijah for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked #4 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #7, with 11,111 babies.
Origin:Hebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 781 | 1,281 boys |
| 1890s | 615 | 1,625 boys |
| 1900s | 539 | 1,856 boys |
| 1910s | 323 | 3,098 boys |
| 1920s | 250 | 3,999 boys |
| 1930s | 202 | 4,948 boys |
| 1940s | 163 | 6,131 boys |
| 1950s | 116 | 8,658 boys |
| 1960s | 79 | 12,698 boys |
| 1970s | 206 | 4,849 boys |
| 1980s | 409 | 2,446 boys |
| 1990s | 1,803 | 555 boys |
| 2000s | 5,521 | 181 boys |
| 2010s | 7,295 | 137 boys |
| 2020s | 6,950 | 144 boys |
More Hebrew boy names
- Unisex name: Noah · rest, comfort
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Levi · joined, attached
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Boy name: Samuel · God has heard
Questions about the name Elijah
What does the name Elijah mean?
Elijah means “my God is Yahweh” in Hebrew.
What is the origin of the name Elijah?
Elijah has Hebrew roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Noah, James, Mateo.
Is Elijah a boy or girl name?
Elijah is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Elijah?
Elijah ranked #7 for US boys in 2025, given to 11,111 babies. Its best year was 2021 (#4).