Find out how popular the first name Elhanan has been for the last 6 years (from 2018 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Elhanan by gender

Based on the last 6 years of data, Elhanan is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Elhanan.

The history of the first name Elhanan

The name Elhanan is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Biblical Hebrew phrase "El hanan," which translates to "God is gracious." It is a theophoric name, meaning it incorporates the name of a deity, in this case, the Hebrew God.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Elhanan can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Second Book of Samuel (21:19), a warrior named Elhanan is described as slaying one of the descendants of the giant Goliath during a battle with the Philistines. This account suggests that the name was in use among Israelites as early as the 10th century BCE.

Another biblical figure bearing the name Elhanan appears in 1 Chronicles 26:3, where he is listed as one of the sons of Meshelemiah, a gatekeeper in the Temple of Jerusalem during the reign of King David. This reference further solidifies the antiquity of the name within the Hebrew tradition.

Outside of the Bible, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Elhanan was Elhanan ben Hushiel, a renowned rabbi and scholar who lived in Palestine during the 3rd century CE. He is best known for his contributions to the compilation of the Mishnah, the first major work of rabbinic Judaism.

In the 11th century, Elhanan ben Shemariah, a Karaite Jewish scholar from Jerusalem, wrote a polemical work titled "Sefer Milhamot Hashem" (The Book of the Wars of the Lord), defending the Karaite interpretation of the Torah against rabbinic Judaism.

Another notable figure was Elhanan ben Isaac, a 13th-century Jewish philosopher and scholar from Italy, who wrote extensively on Jewish law, philosophy, and astronomy. His works include the influential treatise "Even ha-Shetiyah" (The Firm Foundation), which addressed various philosophical and theological questions.

In more recent history, Elhanan Leib Lewinsky (1857-1925) was a prominent Zionist leader and Hebrew writer from Russia. He actively advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and contributed to the revival of the Hebrew language through his literary works.

Elhanan Adler (1905-1983) was a British-born Israeli mathematician and academic, known for his contributions to the field of functional analysis and his role in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Mathematics.

These examples illustrate the enduring presence of the name Elhanan throughout various historical periods, primarily within the Jewish and Hebrew cultural spheres, reflecting its biblical and theological roots.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Elhanan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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