Elijah Name Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Elijah

Elijah is a biblical character who may be found in the first and second books of Kings in the Old Testament of the Bible. The name Elijah became widely used throughout the Middle Ages as a result of Elijah’s popularity in medieval legends and the fact that a few early saints had his name. Typically, Elis was how it was spelled in medieval England. By the 16th century, it had already perished there, but during the Protestant Reformation, the Puritans brought it back to life under the guise of Elijah.

In certain Biblical translations, Elijah’s name is written as Elias, which means “Yahweh is my God.” The Hebrew phrase “Jehovah is my God” is the origin of the name Elijah, which dates back to the Old Testament of the Bible. The original Elijah of the Bible was a prophet renowned for standing up for the worship of God and working miracles in his honor. Muslims, Christians, and Jews all hold high regard for the prophet Elijah.

Elijah’s name is referred to during the weekly Havdalah ceremony in Judaism, as well as throughout other Jewish rituals including the Passover Seder and the brit milah. The Christian New Testament acknowledges that some people believed that Jesus was, in a manner, Elijah. Elijah and Moses were said to have appeared with Moses at the Transfiguration of Jesus.

In different languages, this name has different variations. Some well-known and widely used are Elia (Italian), Elian (Dutch), Elias (Greek), Eliasz (Polish), Élie (French), Eliyahu (Hebrew), Ilija (Croatian), and Ilja (Estonian).

A fictitious character from Isaac Asimov’s Robot series is named Elijah “Lije” Baley. He is the primary character in the short tale “Mirror Image.” Another fictitious character in CSI: Cyber is named Elijah Mundo. He is an authority in battlefield forensics, weapons, vehicles, and bombs and a former US Marine.

Elijah

Meaning Yahweh is my God

Gender Boy

Religion Christianity

Origin Hebrew

Lucky Number 9

Syllables Three

Length 1 word, 6 letters, 3 vowels, 3 consonants

Type Medium length and moderately easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Elijah?

Pronounced as eh-lai-juh

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Elijah in English.

Famous People With The Name Elijah

Elijah WardRenowned US Congressman during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era
Elijah WilkinsonAmerican football player who played in the National Football League (NFL)
Elijah Brigham StoddardAmerican politician who worked in the branches of the Massachusetts legislature
Elijah RileyAmerican football player and a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL)
Elijah KelleyAmerican actor, singer, well-known for films like 28 Days, Take the Lead, Hairspray, and Red Tails

Elijah On The Popularity Chart

Since 1990, the name Elijah has been growing significantly among the US parents. Have a look at the graphs below to understand more.

Popularity Over Time

Elijah has been rising in popularity for the last two decades. In 2021, a whopping number of 12,708 babies per million are registered under thiS name in the US.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The name is quite popular in the United states, but unfortunately this name has never made it among the top 1000 names in the US baby names chart with its highest rank being 12,366th.

Source: Social Security Administration

Elijah On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Elijah is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Elijah

If you are looking to explore more names that sound like Elijah, here are some suggestions.

Popular Sibling Names For Elijah

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Elijah, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Elijah

Find matching brother names for Elijah and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Elijah

Looking for some suitable sister names for Elijah? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With E

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter E to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Ean

Ebb

Names With Similar Meaning As Elijah

If you want a name that means the same as Elijah but sounds different? Take a look at the options listed below.

Popular Songs On The Name Elijah

Elijah has a lyrical presence in various songs. Check them out here.

Song	Artist
Elijah Rock	The University Of Utah Singers
Elijah Rock (arr. M. Hogan)	Traditional
Elijah	Rich Mullins
Elijah	Matthew And The Atlas
Elijah Rock	Jester Hairston
Elijah Day	FEMOS GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT

Acrostic Poem On Elijah

Dive into the lyrical charm of the name Elijah with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?

Eloquent mind blessed with the gift of gab.

Lifting the dark clouds in our life, our little sunshine.

Imagination beyond compare, an inspiration for everyone you care.

Jewel of our eyes.

Adorable like a sweet-smelling rose.

Helping hands that inspire heartfelt moments.

Elijah’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name elijah. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Mesha (Aries)
Starting letters for Mesha (Aries) rashi	A, L, E, I, O
Representation	Ram
Element	Fire
Ruling body	Mars
Quality	Movable (chara)

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Mesha (Aries) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Ashwini (Awasthi, Aswini)	Aries (0 to 13.20 degrees)	Ketu	Chu, Che, Cho, Choo, La, Laa
Bharani	Aries (13. 20 to 26.40 degrees)	Venus	Lee, Lu, Le, Lo, Li
Krittika (Karthikai, Krithika)	Aries (26.40 to 30.00 degrees)	Sun	Aa, Ae, E, Ee, Ai, A, I, Oo, U

Infographic: Know The Name Elijah‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Elijah In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Elijah in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Elijah, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Elijah	English	en
以利亚	Chinese	zh-CN
एलिजा	Hindi	hi
Elijah	Spanish	es
Elijah	French	fr
إيليا	Arabic	ar
ইলিয়াস	Bengali	bn
Elijah	Portuguese	pt
Элайджа	Russian	ru
ایلیاہ	Urdu	ur
Elijah	Indonesian	id
Elijah	German	de
エリヤ	Japanese	ja
एलिजा	Marathi	mr
ఎలిజా	Telugu	te
Elijah	Turkish	tr
எலியா	Tamil	ta
Elijah	Vietnamese	vi
Elijah	Tagalog	tl
엘리야	Korean	ko
Elijah	Hausa	ha
Elijah	Swahili	sw
Elijah	Javanese	jv
Elijah	Italian	it
ਏਲੀਯਾਹ	Punjabi	pa
એલિયા	Gujarati	gu
เอลียาห์	Thai	th
ಎಲಿಜಾ	Kannada	kn
ኤልያስ	Amharic	am
एलिजा	Bhojpuri	bho
Elijah	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Elijah In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

elijah

In Sign Language

elijah

In Braille Alphabet

elijah

In Morse Code

elijah

Name Numerology For Elijah

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Elijah, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Elijah

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Elijah and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Elijah

Discover the presence of Elijah in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Razilee and Elijah: Part 3	Elijah: Part 3	2021
Razilee and Elijah: Part 2		2020
Razilee and Elijah		2019
Elijah and the Rock Creature	Dark Sky, Elijah e a Criatura de Pedra, Элайджа и существо из камня	2018
Elijah's Ashes		2017
The Lost Mantle of Elijah		2013

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Elijah?

The name Elijah means ‘Yahweh is my God’ in Hebrew.

2. What is the origin of the name Elijah?

Elijah has a Hebrew origin.

3. How to pronounce the name Elijah?

Elijah is pronounced as eh-lai-juh.

4. Are there any significant cultural or religious associations with the name Elijah?

The masculine name Elijah has important religious associations with the Christian culture. Elijah was a prominent Biblical figure and was one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. He was a man of God, granted with the mighty power to restore life, to rain down fire, and withhold rain when the Israelites turned away from God (1) (2).

5. Are there any significant historical events or milestones associated with the name Elijah?

The name Elijah can be associated with Elijah Parish Lovejoy, a Presbyterian minister, abolitionist, journalist, and newspaper editor. He promoted freedom of speech and defended the freedom of the press. After his death, he became a martyr to the abolitionist cause opposing the act of slavery in the US.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Elijah: A Faithful Prophet in a Time of Adversity.
https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/elijah-a-faithful-prophet-in-a-time-of-adversity/
The Transfiguration.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-23?lang=eng

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