Eliya
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "my God is Yahweh".
Name Census estimates that about 967 living Americans carry the first name Eliya. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Eliya today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eliya births was 2022 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eliya. 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.
People living today
967
~ 1 in 354,451 Americans
Peak year
2022
56 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,297
Tracked since 1993
Gender
Gender distribution for Eliya
Eliya leans heavily female at 81.8% of total registrations, but 178 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Eliya as a male name
- Ranked #8,489 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (18 births)
Eliya as a female name
- Ranked #4,297 in 2024
- 33 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (45 births)
Popularity
Eliya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eliya 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 420 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Eliya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eliya 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 Eliya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Eliyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Eliya, while Illinois, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eliya
The name Eliya originates from the Hebrew language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is a masculine name derived from the Hebrew word "Eliyahu," which means "my God is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is God." This name is closely associated with the biblical prophet Elijah, who played a significant role in the Old Testament.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eliya can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned in reference to the prophet Elijah. This biblical figure is revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for his miraculous deeds and unwavering faith in God. The Book of Kings in the Old Testament chronicles the life and teachings of Elijah, who confronted the wicked King Ahab and challenged the worship of the pagan god Baal.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Eliya. One of the earliest known figures was Eliya ben Shlomo Zalman, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in the 18th century and authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy. Another notable figure was Eliya Mikhael Khuri, a prominent Lebanese writer and journalist born in 1834, who played a pivotal role in the Nahda, the Arab literary renaissance.
In the 20th century, Eliya Avner Mishulovin (1876-1944) was a prominent Zionist leader and one of the founders of the Histadrut, the Israeli labor federation. Eliya Ilyich Gavrilin (1932-1980) was a renowned Russian composer known for his works blending folk and classical styles.
More recently, Eliya Izakovich (born 1944) is a notable Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset, while Eliya Stambler (born 1941) is an acclaimed Israeli artist known for his vibrant and expressive paintings.
These examples demonstrate the enduring legacy and cultural significance of the name Eliya, which has been carried by scholars, writers, leaders, and artists across various eras and regions, reflecting its deep roots in the Hebrew tradition and its continued resonance in diverse cultural contexts.
People
Eliya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eliya 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
Eliya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eliya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 967 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eliya 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 354,451 US residents.
Is Eliya a common name?
We classify Eliya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 977 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eliya most popular?
The single biggest year for Eliya was 2022, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eliya is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eliya a female name?
Yes, 81.8% of people registered as Eliya 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.
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.