
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.
How To Pronounce Elijah?
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 AdministrationRank 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 AdministrationNames With Similar Sound
If you are looking to explore more names that sound like Elijah, here are some suggestions.
Popular Sibling Names For Elijah
Names With Similar Meaning
If you want a name that means the same as Elijah but sounds different? Take a look at the options listed below.
Infographic: Know The Name’s Personality As Per Numerology

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
How To Communicate The Name In Other Languages
In Nautical Flags
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In Sign Language
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In Braille Alphabet
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In Morse Code
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Name Numerology For Elijah


