Find out how popular the first name Elkanah has been for the last 41 years (from 1982 to 2022) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Elkanah by gender

Based on the last 41 years of data, Elkanah is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2022, there were 7 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Elkanah.

The history of the first name Elkanah

The name Elkanah is of Hebrew origin, derived from the elements "El" meaning "God" and "qanah" meaning "possessed" or "acquired". It is believed to have emerged during the biblical period, sometime around the 11th century BCE.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Elkanah appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Samuel, Elkanah is the name of a Levite from Ramathaim-Zophim, who had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah, one of his wives, was initially barren but later gave birth to the prophet Samuel after praying fervently to God.

The name Elkanah was relatively uncommon in ancient times, but a few notable historical figures bore this name. One of the earliest known individuals was Elkanah ben Meshullam, a scribe who lived in Jerusalem during the 5th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Ezra as one of the leaders who helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.

Another prominent individual with this name was Elkanah ben Hilkiah, a Levite who lived in the 7th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Chronicles as one of the gatekeepers responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tabernacle.

In the 2nd century BCE, there was a Jewish scholar named Elkanah ben Abuyah, also known as Acher ("Other"), who initially studied the Torah but later became a heretic and rejected his Jewish faith.

In more recent history, Elkanah Armitage (1787-1843) was a British missionary who worked in India and was instrumental in the establishment of the Baptist Mission Press in Serampore, which played a significant role in the translation and distribution of the Bible in various Indian languages.

Elkanah Cushman (1788-1825) was an American Baptist missionary who served in Burma (now Myanmar) and was one of the first Protestant missionaries to work in that region.

While the name Elkanah has fallen out of common use in modern times, it remains a part of religious and historical records, providing a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic heritage of the ancient Hebrew people.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!