Find out how popular the first name Elijah has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Elijah by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Elijah is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Elijah being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 11,452 male babies and 20 female babies born with the name Elijah.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 20 baby girls were named Elijah in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Elijah

The name Elijah is a Hebrew name derived from the elements "El" meaning "God" and "Yah" which is a shortened form of the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh or Jehovah. It is believed to mean "Yahweh is God" or "My God is Yahweh". The name can be traced back to the 9th century BCE and the biblical prophet Elijah from the northern kingdom of Israel.

The prophet Elijah is a significant figure in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the Quran, and the Baha'i writings. He is venerated in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and the Baha'i Faith. In the Bible, Elijah is described as a hairy man who lived in the wilderness and worked miracles such as raising the dead, bringing fire down from the sky, and being taken up to heaven by a whirlwind in a chariot of fire.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Elijah is the biblical prophet himself, who lived during the reign of Ahab in the 9th century BCE. Other notable individuals named Elijah include Elijah ben Solomon, a Jewish Talmudic scholar from the 12th century CE, and Elijah of Vilna, a prominent rabbi and Jewish leader from the 18th century CE (1720-1797).

Throughout history, several influential people have borne the name Elijah. Elijah Craig (1738-1808) was an American Baptist minister and entrepreneurial distiller credited with being the first to mature bourbon in charred oak casks. Elijah Lovejoy (1802-1837) was an American Presbyterian minister, anti-slavery reformer, and journalist who was killed by a pro-slavery mob for his abolitionist views.

Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) was a prominent African-American religious leader who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. Elijah Jeremiah McCoy (1844-1929), known as the "Real McCoy", was an African-American inventor and engineer who patented several important industrial inventions, including an automatic lubricator for steam engines.

Elijah Ricks (1982-present) is an American entrepreneur and investor who co-founded the venture capital firm Mucker Capital and the online education platform Semetric. These are just a few examples of notable individuals named Elijah throughout history, reflecting the enduring popularity and significance of this Hebrew name.

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 Elijah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Elijah, please contact us.

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