Eliav
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "my God is father".
Name Census estimates that about 148 living Americans carry the first name Eliav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eliav today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eliav births was 2015 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eliav. 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 Eliav with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
148
~ 1 in 2,315,908 Americans
Peak year
2015
13 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,358
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Eliav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eliav from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 73 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Eliav remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eliav 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 Eliav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Eliavs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Eliav
The name Eliav is a Hebrew name that has its origins in ancient Israel. It is derived from the Hebrew words "El" meaning "God" and "av" meaning "father," making the name's literal meaning "God is father."
The name Eliav first appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically in the book of Numbers. It is mentioned as the name of one of the leaders of the Israelite tribe of Reuben during the exodus from Egypt. This suggests that the name has been in use for at least three thousand years.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Eliav was a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 11th century CE. Eliav ben Shmuel was a renowned Torah commentator and is known for his work on the Talmud.
In the 12th century, Eliav ben Yehuda was a notable Hebrew grammarian and poet who lived in Spain. He is best known for his work on the Hebrew language, which helped to establish rules and structure for the language.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Eliav ben Yaakov was a prominent rabbi and scholar from Lithuania. He was known for his expertise in Jewish law and his teachings on the Talmud.
In more recent history, Eliav Sela was an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as the Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1987. He played a significant role in shaping Israel's foreign policy during that time.
Another notable figure with the name Eliav is Eliav Cohen, an Israeli actor and filmmaker. He has appeared in several popular Israeli television shows and movies, and has also directed and produced several films.
The name Eliav has a rich history and has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the ages. Its meaning and origin are deeply rooted in the Hebrew language and the cultural and religious traditions of ancient Israel.
People
Eliav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eliav 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
Eliav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eliav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eliav 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 2,315,908 US residents.
Is Eliav a common name?
We classify Eliav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 149 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eliav most popular?
The single biggest year for Eliav was 2015, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eliav is about 11 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 Eliav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eliav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eliav in the SSA data are male. 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 Eliav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eliav 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 Eliav 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 have Eliav as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Eliav on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.