Updated June 28, 2014.

Meaning Name Elijah:

Elijah is an ancient Hebrew name meaning, "My God is Yahweh." In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah was a messenger of God during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. His story is related in 1 Kings 17:1 - 2 Kings 2:11, and he is referred to throughout the Bible. Like Enoch, Elijah never experienced a physical death, but was carried to heaven on a fiery chariot.

During the Middle Ages, the name Elijah came in to common usage, but then waned in usage by the 16th century.

Following the Protestant Reformation, the Puritans revived the name.

Popularity of Elijah:

For more than 130 years, Elijah has ranked within the top 1000 baby names every year. However, it has only been since 1995 that the name broke into the top 100 names. By 2001, Elijah cracked the Top 50 Names. For the first decade of this century, the lists of popular baby names of 2000 - 2009, Elijah held the #42 position. In 2011, it reached its highest point yet on the charts, at rank 13.

It could very well be that the actor Elijah Wood helped advance the popularity of the name. The name certainly had a dramatic increase in popularity following some of his well-known films such as North and Lord of the Rings.

Though the name Elijah has consistently made the name charts year after year, it has only been in recent years that the name had a significant popularity. Because of that it does not appear on the Top 100 Names of the Past Century.

World-wide, the name is not nearly as popular as it is in the US.

Canada and Australia have shown an increased usage in the name, but not nearly as significant.

Pronunciation:

Elijah is a three syllable name with emphasis on the second syllable. It can be pronounced one of two ways: i-LIE-j? or i-LIE-zh?.

Middle Names for Elijah:

For detailed information on things you might consider when selecting a middle name, see Best Middle Names. You might also consider one of these suggestions:

• Elijah Alexander
• Elijah Austin
• Elijah Brock
• Elijah Christopher
• Elijah Daniel
• Elijah Elliott
• Elijah Emory
• Elijah Francis
• Elijah Frederick
• Elijah Gavin
• Elijah Hayden
• Elijah Hunter
• Elijah Jace
• Elijah Jacob
• Elijah James
• Elijah John
• Elijah Jonathan
• Elijah Kade
• Elijah Kaden
• Elijah Lawrence
• Elijah Louis
• Elijah Matthias
• Elijah Maxwell
• Elijah Michael
• Elijah Mitchell
• Elijah Patrick
• Elijah Paul
• Elijah Quintin
• Elijah Rhys
• Elijah Richard
• Elijah Robert
• Elijah Samuel
• Elijah Seth
• Elijah Theodore
• Elijah Thomas
• Elijah Vaughn
• Elijah Vincent
• Elijah William
• Elijah Wyatt

Share your suggestions for middle names at the "Write a Review" link below.

Nicknames:

Eli might be considered a nickname of Elijah. Similar names include Elias and Elisha.

Sibling Name Suggestions:

Check out detailed advice on how to choose the best sibling name. You might consider:

• For girls: Abigail, Anna, Elizabeth, Emma, Evelyn, Grace, Hannah, Samantha, Trinity
• For boys: Benjamin, Caleb, Christian, Ethan, Gabriel, Isaac, Isaiah, Jonah, Noah

Famous People Named Elijah:

There are a few well-known celebrities who bear the name Elijah.

• Elijah Wood, Actor
• Elijah Dukes, Baseball Player
• Elijah Jones, Baseball Player
• Elijah Muhammad, Religion
• Elijah Pitts, Football Player
• Elijah Teter, 2010 Winter Olympian - Snowboarding

Celebrity Babies Named Elijah:

• Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John (2013), son of Elton John
• Elijah Dylan Westbrook (2010), son of Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook
• Elijah Alexander-Knox (2004), son of Flex Alexander and Shanice Wilson
• Elijah Nelson Clark (2001), son of Tracy Nelson
• Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg (2001), son of Donnie Wahlberg
• Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q Hewson (1999), "Bono" Paul David Hewson, of U2
• Elija (1992), son of Tiffany
• Elijah Spader (1992), son of James Spader
• Elijah Blue Allman (1976), son of Gregg Allman and Cher
• Elijah Judd (1994), son of Wynonna Judd

Related Reading: What Are Some Good Middle Names for Jacob?
_{Sources:
Behind the Name
Baby Name Wizard Voyager
Social Security Popular Names}