Ellah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "the highest" or "the loftiest".
Name Census estimates that about 995 living Americans carry the first name Ellah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ellah today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ellah births was 2010 (73 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ellah. 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
995
~ 1 in 344,477 Americans
Peak year
2010
73 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,298
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Ellah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ellah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 503 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ellah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ellah 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 Ellah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ellahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Ellah, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ellah
The name Ellah is believed to have its origins in ancient Hebrew culture, with roots dating back to biblical times. It is thought to be a variation of the Hebrew name Ella, which means "oak tree" or "consecrated to God." The double "l" spelling is likely a later adaptation or regional variation.
One theory suggests that Ellah may have been derived from the Hebrew word "elah," which translates to "god" or "deity." In this context, the name could have been used to honor a divine entity or convey a sense of reverence. However, the exact etymology remains a topic of debate among scholars.
While there are no definitive historical references to the name Ellah in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that early variations of the name were in use among certain Hebrew communities during biblical times. The earliest recorded instances of the name are relatively scarce, with limited documentation from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.
One notable figure associated with the name Ellah is Saint Ellah, a 7th-century Christian martyr who was allegedly executed for her faith during the reign of the Sassanid king Khosrau II. Her story is recounted in various hagiographies and martyrologies, although the historical details surrounding her life and death remain uncertain.
Another historical figure named Ellah was Ellah the Captive, a 12th-century English noblewoman who was captured during the Third Crusade and held as a prisoner in the Muslim-controlled city of Damascus. Her story is chronicled in the writings of various medieval chroniclers and served as inspiration for literary works and ballads.
In the 15th century, Ellah of Anjou was a French noblewoman and courtier who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie of Anjou, consort of King Charles VII of France. She is mentioned in various court records and chronicles from that era.
During the Renaissance period, Ellah Gonzaga was an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of artists and writers in the city of Mantua. She was a prominent figure in the cultural and intellectual circles of her time.
In the 18th century, Ellah Fitzwilliam was a British philanthropist and social reformer who worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions of the poor and establish educational opportunities for underprivileged children. Her efforts were documented in contemporary accounts and biographies.
People
Ellah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ellah 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
Ellah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ellah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 995 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ellah 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 344,477 US residents.
Is Ellah a common name?
We classify Ellah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,004 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ellah most popular?
The single biggest year for Ellah was 2010, when 73 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ellah is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ellah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ellah 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.