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Why parents love Elijah- Elijah is one of the Bible's most dramatic, powerful prophets.
- He was taken to heaven alive — one of only two people in scripture.
- Three syllables with a strong, ascending sound: eh-LY-jah.
- Eli is a warm, strong nickname.
- It's risen to the top 5 — massively popular without feeling overexposed.
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The vibe of Elijah
propheticfireascendingbiblicalpowerfuldramaticEliwhirlwind
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Origin & history of Elijah
Hebrew אֵלִיָּהוּ (Eliyyahu, my God is Yahweh)
→ English Elijah
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Hebrew roots
Elijah comes from the Hebrew Eliyyahu, meaning my God is Yahweh. In the Hebrew Bible, Elijah is one of the most dramatic prophets: he called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), was fed by ravens in the wilderness, and was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire without dying (2 Kings 2). In Judaism, Elijah's return heralds the Messiah. Elijah Wood played Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings. The name has surged from the top 30 to the top 5 in the 21st century.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Biblical — 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2, where Elijah is one of the greatest prophets.
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Today
Elijah remains a beloved choice, ranking #7 in the US. 370,593 babies have been named Elijah since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2, SSA data
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How popular is Elijah?
2011
peak year
Elijah hit its high-water mark in 2011, when it became one of the country's most popular names — #13 nationally, with 13,997 babies given the name that year. The name has actually been around since 1880 — over a century — though it took until recently to find its widest audience. Since the peak, the name has settled at in the top ten (#7) today, averaging about 12,863 new babies per year. Elijah's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 370,593 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
13,997
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #13)
(ranked #13)
12,863
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
128,630
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
370,593
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
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Numerology of Elijah9
Life path number
The Humanitarian
Compassion, wisdom and humanitarianism.
Elijah's Life Path 1 is the pioneer's number — the prophet who pioneered faith. People named Elijah tend to be passionate, courageous, and capable of standing alone against the crowd.
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Stands alone against the crowd✦
Passionate courage◈
Prophetic fire◎
Ascending spirit♡
Calls down heavenE5
L3
I9
J1
A1
H8
Sum: 27 → Life path 9
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Personality of Elijah🌍
Compassionate soul
They carry the weight of the world with grace.
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Richly creative
Deep feeling translates into deep art.
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Old soul wisdom
They've always seemed wiser than their years.
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Unconditional love
Their love is vast and forgiving.
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Famous people named ElijahClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
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If you like Elijah, you may also love◎
Names that sound like ElijahIf you love Elijah, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
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Names that combine with ElijahSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Elijah.
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Middle names for ElijahThe right middle name turns Elijah into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Elijah? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Elijah →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
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Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
Elijah is a beautiful choice.
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