Elihu
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- EL-i-hyoo
- Origin
- Hebrew
- US rank, 2025
- #6,140 for boys
Elihu is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “he is my God”. In 2025 it ranked 6,140th for boys in the US (14 babies).
What does Elihu mean?
Hebrew
“he is my God”
Elihu Yale, a merchant of the East India Company, gave his name to Yale University; in the Bible Elihu speaks to Job.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Elihu a girl's or a boy's name?
Elihu is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 14 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Elihu in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 6,140th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 14 about 1 in 120,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 14 boys in the US were named Elihu, making it the 6,140th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,037th. Its busiest year was 1928, with 26 boys.
Half of all the boys named Elihu in the US since 1880 were born between 1926 and 2006, the years shaded on the chart below.
Elihu in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | #6,140 |
| 2024 | 17 | #5,439 |
| 2023 | 17 | #5,465 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6,141 |
| 2021 | 16 | #5,557 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5,037 |
| 2019 | 20 | #4,802 |
| 2018 | 18 | #5,102 |
| 2017 | 15 | #5,784 |
| 2016 | 22 | #4,469 |
| 2015 | 16 | #5,503 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,729 |
| 2013 | 14 | #5,919 |
| 2012 | 8 | #8,858 |
| 2011 | 13 | #6,250 |
| 2010 | 16 | #5,475 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4,427 |
| 2008 | 19 | #4,897 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5,898 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4,861 |
| 2005 | 17 | #4,819 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5,241 |
| 2003 | 16 | #4,810 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7,636 |
| 2001 | 18 | #4,296 |
| 2000 | 11 | #5,913 |
| 1999 | 6 | #8,697 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 8 | #6,612 |
| 1996 | 16 | #4,016 |
| 1995 | 9 | #5,922 |
| 1994 | 9 | #5,862 |
| 1993 | 9 | #5,764 |
| 1992 | 6 | #7,414 |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,223 |
| 1990 | 14 | #3,965 |
| 1989 | 11 | #4,521 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 5 | #6,945 |
| 1986 | 12 | #3,649 |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 10 | #3,882 |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 7 | #4,959 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 11 | #3,384 |
| 1976 | 5 | #5,584 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 11 | #3,118 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 6 | #4,228 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 5 | #3,946 |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 5 | #4,038 |
| 1963 | 7 | #3,317 |
| 1962 | 5 | #4,031 |
| 1961 | 8 | #3,095 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 6 | #3,550 |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 7 | #3,199 |
| 1954 | 7 | #3,174 |
| 1953 | 12 | #2,286 |
| 1952 | 6 | #3,370 |
| 1951 | 6 | #3,362 |
| 1950 | 7 | #3,020 |
| 1949 | 7 | #3,018 |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1947 | 8 | #2,861 |
| 1946 | 8 | #2,689 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 5 | #3,428 |
| 1943 | 5 | #3,536 |
| 1942 | 7 | #2,939 |
| 1941 | 11 | #2,207 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,322 |
| 1939 | 9 | #2,449 |
| 1938 | 8 | #2,646 |
| 1937 | 9 | #2,479 |
| 1936 | 7 | #2,853 |
| 1935 | 5 | #3,644 |
| 1934 | 8 | #2,742 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 10 | #2,465 |
| 1931 | 13 | #2,101 |
| 1930 | 11 | #2,443 |
| 1929 | 16 | #1,933 |
| 1928 | 26 | #1,448 |
| 1927 | 21 | #1,692 |
| 1926 | 21 | #1,661 |
| 1925 | 15 | #2,088 |
| 1924 | 19 | #1,839 |
| 1923 | 7 | #3,465 |
| 1922 | 18 | #1,883 |
| 1921 | 20 | #1,766 |
| 1920 | 15 | #2,130 |
| 1919 | 20 | #1,694 |
| 1918 | 21 | #1,647 |
| 1917 | 19 | #1,692 |
| 1916 | 20 | #1,593 |
| 1915 | 22 | #1,453 |
| 1914 | 20 | #1,342 |
| 1913 | 11 | #1,675 |
| 1912 | 14 | #1,267 |
| 1911 | 7 | #1,386 |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,049 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 6 | #941 |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 5 | #1,065 |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 5 | #1,030 |
| 1887 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 5 | #891 |
| 1882 | 0 | – |
| 1881 | 11 | #533 |
| 1880 | 6 | #809 |
Nicknames for Elihu
- Eli 421 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Elihu
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ellis, Elijah, Everett, Elisha, Elias, Samuel, Emerson, Solomon, Abraham, Oliver, Eli, Emmett
Names related to Elihu
More Hebrew names
Noah, Isabella, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Mateo, Elsie, Levi
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Elihu: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/elihu, updated 20 October 2026.