Elanah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "oak tree" or "God has answered".
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the first name Elanah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elanah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elanah births was 2006 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elanah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Elanah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
103
~ 1 in 3,327,712 Americans
Peak year
2006
9 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2021 SSA rank
#15,915
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Elanah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elanah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 52 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elanah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elanah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elanah
The name Elanah has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a feminine name derived from the Hebrew word "el," meaning "God," and the suffix "-anah," which means "grace" or "favor." Thus, the name Elanah can be interpreted as "God's grace" or "favored by God."
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the name Elanah is mentioned as the father of one of King David's mighty warriors, Uzzi (1 Chronicles 11:46). This reference suggests that the name was in use among the Israelites during the time of the united monarchy, around the 10th century BCE.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Elanah was a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 11th century CE. Known as Elanah ben Abraham, he was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of medieval France and contributed to the study of Hebrew grammar and biblical exegesis.
Another notable figure bearing the name Elanah was a 17th-century Dutch poet and playwright, Elanah Huygens (1597-1670). She was renowned for her innovative poetic style and her contributions to the Dutch literary renaissance.
In the 19th century, Elanah Bunting (1828-1892) was a British author and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education. Her writings focused on advocating for greater opportunities and equality for women in Victorian society.
More recently, Elanah Kaye (born 1936) is an American artist and sculptor known for her large-scale public installations. Her works often explore themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience, reflecting her interest in various cultural traditions.
While not as common as some other Hebrew names, Elanah has maintained a presence throughout history, appearing in various contexts and cultures. Its meaning and connections to ancient Israelite traditions have likely contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name.
People
Elanah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elanah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elanah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elanah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 103 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elanah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,327,712 US residents.
Is Elanah a common name?
We classify Elanah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 104 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elanah most popular?
The single biggest year for Elanah was 2006, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elanah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Elanah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elanah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elanah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Elanah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elanah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Elanah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Elanah?
Find out how many Americans are named Elanah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.