Elijah
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- e-LY-ja
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #23 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #7 for boys
Elijah is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “my God is Yahweh”. In 2025 it ranked 23rd for boys in the UK (1,773 babies) and 7th for boys in the US (11,111 babies).
What does Elijah mean?
Hebrew: from Hebrew Eliyyahu
“my God is Yahweh”
In the Bible the prophet Elijah was carried up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Elijah a girl's or a boy's name?
Elijah is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,773 boys in the UK and 15 girls and 11,111 boys in the US.
How popular is Elijah in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #23among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,773about 1 in 170 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadymuch the same
- Same name in a class
- 8%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,773 boys in the UK were named Elijah, making it the 23rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 31st. Its busiest year was 2021, with 1,791 boys.
Half of all the boys named Elijah in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 23rd in England and Wales, 59th in Scotland and 59th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#53) and 2024 (#23).
Elijah in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,773 | #23 |
| 2024 | 1,772 | #25 |
| 2023 | 1,593 | #34 |
| 2022 | 1,657 | #36 |
| 2021 | 1,791 | #34 |
| 2020 | 1,765 | #31 |
| 2019 | 1,747 | #40 |
| 2018 | 1,631 | #44 |
| 2017 | 1,593 | #43 |
| 2016 | 1,485 | #45 |
| 2015 | 1,358 | #50 |
| 2014 | 1,194 | #59 |
| 2013 | 957 | #75 |
| 2012 | 833 | #88 |
| 2011 | 742 | #102 |
| 2010 | 551 | #127 |
| 2009 | 443 | #147 |
| 2008 | 437 | #147 |
| 2007 | 388 | #156 |
| 2006 | 310 | #176 |
| 2005 | 312 | #170 |
| 2004 | 250 | #182 |
| 2003 | 221 | #191 |
| 2002 | 162 | #222 |
| 2001 | 100 | #310 |
| 2000 | 101 | #300 |
| 1999 | 86 | #340 |
| 1998 | 68 | #385 |
| 1997 | 93 | #315 |
| 1996 | 79 | #335 |
How popular is Elijah in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #7among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 11,111about 1 in 150 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 8.7%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 11,111 boys in the US were named Elijah, making it the 7th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4th. Its busiest year was 2011, with 14,001 boys. 15 girls were also named Elijah in 2025 (7,131st for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 6 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Elijah than any year since 2003.
Half of all the boys named Elijah in the US since 1880 were born between 2003 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
Elijah in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11,111 | #7 |
| 2024 | 11,238 | #8 |
| 2023 | 11,523 | #5 |
| 2022 | 12,094 | #5 |
| 2021 | 12,845 | #4 |
| 2020 | 13,238 | #4 |
| 2019 | 13,436 | #5 |
| 2018 | 13,020 | #7 |
| 2017 | 13,449 | #8 |
| 2016 | 13,982 | #9 |
| 2015 | 13,710 | #11 |
| 2014 | 13,886 | #11 |
| 2013 | 13,829 | #11 |
| 2012 | 13,914 | #13 |
| 2011 | 14,001 | #13 |
| 2010 | 13,920 | #18 |
| 2009 | 12,846 | #21 |
| 2008 | 13,241 | #22 |
| 2007 | 12,424 | #30 |
| 2006 | 12,055 | #29 |
| 2005 | 11,612 | #31 |
| 2004 | 11,714 | #31 |
| 2003 | 10,665 | #37 |
| 2002 | 10,053 | #41 |
| 2001 | 8,339 | #45 |
| 2000 | 7,472 | #52 |
| 1999 | 6,596 | #60 |
| 1998 | 5,662 | #66 |
| 1997 | 5,089 | #74 |
| 1996 | 4,818 | #81 |
| 1995 | 3,977 | #93 |
| 1994 | 2,621 | #133 |
| 1993 | 1,882 | #170 |
| 1992 | 1,523 | #203 |
| 1991 | 1,345 | #222 |
| 1990 | 1,139 | #243 |
| 1989 | 991 | #257 |
| 1988 | 886 | #266 |
| 1987 | 746 | #288 |
| 1986 | 718 | #289 |
| 1985 | 681 | #299 |
| 1984 | 631 | #310 |
| 1983 | 671 | #296 |
| 1982 | 739 | #280 |
| 1981 | 750 | #277 |
| 1980 | 754 | #279 |
| 1979 | 696 | #290 |
| 1978 | 548 | #320 |
| 1977 | 504 | #350 |
| 1976 | 301 | #450 |
| 1975 | 263 | #491 |
| 1974 | 287 | #472 |
| 1973 | 212 | #537 |
| 1972 | 209 | #551 |
| 1971 | 196 | #587 |
| 1970 | 184 | #596 |
| 1969 | 143 | #659 |
| 1968 | 122 | #680 |
| 1967 | 134 | #644 |
| 1966 | 140 | #626 |
| 1965 | 122 | #672 |
| 1964 | 161 | #618 |
| 1963 | 149 | #640 |
| 1962 | 179 | #583 |
| 1961 | 194 | #562 |
| 1960 | 180 | #579 |
| 1959 | 185 | #574 |
| 1958 | 209 | #531 |
| 1957 | 218 | #521 |
| 1956 | 197 | #532 |
| 1955 | 235 | #476 |
| 1954 | 254 | #452 |
| 1953 | 248 | #454 |
| 1952 | 263 | #430 |
| 1951 | 223 | #450 |
| 1950 | 282 | #402 |
| 1949 | 267 | #414 |
| 1948 | 244 | #427 |
| 1947 | 296 | #399 |
| 1946 | 222 | #426 |
| 1945 | 237 | #387 |
| 1944 | 227 | #399 |
| 1943 | 221 | #416 |
| 1942 | 245 | #387 |
| 1941 | 239 | #374 |
| 1940 | 201 | #404 |
| 1939 | 237 | #371 |
| 1938 | 195 | #407 |
| 1937 | 210 | #382 |
| 1936 | 221 | #365 |
| 1935 | 210 | #374 |
| 1934 | 209 | #378 |
| 1933 | 198 | #386 |
| 1932 | 231 | #365 |
| 1931 | 198 | #400 |
| 1930 | 226 | #378 |
| 1929 | 243 | #367 |
| 1928 | 255 | #365 |
| 1927 | 290 | #336 |
| 1926 | 276 | #348 |
| 1925 | 283 | #347 |
| 1924 | 261 | #374 |
| 1923 | 302 | #335 |
| 1922 | 311 | #327 |
| 1921 | 257 | #378 |
| 1920 | 277 | #355 |
| 1919 | 295 | #327 |
| 1918 | 264 | #358 |
| 1917 | 256 | #348 |
| 1916 | 232 | #353 |
| 1915 | 243 | #339 |
| 1914 | 187 | #339 |
| 1913 | 149 | #335 |
| 1912 | 142 | #302 |
| 1911 | 94 | #267 |
| 1910 | 101 | #233 |
| 1909 | 90 | #231 |
| 1908 | 64 | #265 |
| 1907 | 76 | #233 |
| 1906 | 65 | #242 |
| 1905 | 81 | #212 |
| 1904 | 60 | #242 |
| 1903 | 58 | #239 |
| 1902 | 66 | #221 |
| 1901 | 79 | #183 |
| 1900 | 86 | #210 |
| 1899 | 64 | #205 |
| 1898 | 76 | #197 |
| 1897 | 65 | #209 |
| 1896 | 87 | #186 |
| 1895 | 75 | #194 |
| 1894 | 54 | #235 |
| 1893 | 77 | #189 |
| 1892 | 85 | #184 |
| 1891 | 57 | #209 |
| 1890 | 64 | #204 |
| 1889 | 61 | #208 |
| 1888 | 88 | #171 |
| 1887 | 75 | #168 |
| 1886 | 93 | #152 |
| 1885 | 82 | #162 |
| 1884 | 85 | #163 |
| 1883 | 92 | #133 |
| 1882 | 111 | #126 |
| 1881 | 69 | #172 |
| 1880 | 100 | #135 |
Nicknames for Elijah
- Eli 421 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Elijah
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Elias Noah Isaac Ezra Gabriel Caleb Hugo Hudson Harrison Jude Sebastian Roman
Other spellings of Elijah
Names related to Elijah
More Hebrew names
Isabella James Jack Mia Ava Benjamin Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie Levi Eliana Joseph Adam
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and 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, “Elijah: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/elijah, updated 20 October 2026.