Elijah is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Elijah means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Elijah across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Elijah has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Elijah is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “the Lord is my God”. a biblical prophet.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 381,915 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 22,386 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 819 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 597 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 741 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,108 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Elijah per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2011 (14,034/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2020 (1,668/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2021 (83/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2022 (61/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2019 (52/yr).
Elijah has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2011, when it ranked #19 nationally (given to 14,801 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2010s.
Alijah · Elyjah · Elige · Elijiah · Eligio · Alayjah · Elija · Alaijah
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