The Meaning of The Name Elijah: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the meaning of the name Elijah? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the name Elijah, including its meaning, etymology, and more!

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant

What does the name Elijah mean?

According to Britannica, the name Elijah or the Hebrew Eliyyahu refers to the prophet who ranked with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being corrupted by the nature worship of the prophets of Baal. This name means “Yahweh is my God” and is present in Christian and Jewish scripture. According to Very Well Family, the name Elijah dates back to the Old Testament of the Bible. Elijah is an important figure in the Bible. He appears in the first and second books of Kings and is considered a prophet who is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah is pronounced el-EYE-jah or uh-LIE-jah. Related names are as follows:

  •  Ilyas (Arabic)
  •  Eliasz (Polish)
  •  Ilija (Croatin)
  •  Ilja (Estonian)
  •  Elia (Italian)
  •  Eliyahu (Hebrew)
  •  Elias (Greek)
  •  Élie (French)
  •  Elian (Dutch)
  •  Iliya (Bulgarian)

There are many celebrities named Elijah, a selection of which are listed below.

  •  Elijah McGuire: American football player, Kansas City Chiefs
  •  Elijah Holyfield: American football player
  •  Elijah Wood: American actor, Frodo Baggins in “The Lord of the Rings” film series
  •  Elijah Muhammad FKA Elijah Poole: former leader of the Nation of Islam, mentor of Malcolm X
  •  Elijah Lee: American football player, Cleveland Browns
  •  Elijah McCoy: Inventor and engineer
  •  Elijah Lovejoy:American Presbyterian minister, journalist, and abolitionist 
  •  Elijah Joy: Chef
  •  Elijah Kelley: American actor, singer and dancer
  •  Elijah Pitts:American football player and football coach, Green Bay Packers
  •  Elijah Cummings: American politician and civil rights advocate
  •  Elijah Craig: 18th century American Baptist preacher, inventor of bourbon
  •  Elijah Wald: American folk blues guitarist

What are other biblical names for boys?

There are many other names from the Bible that you could name your son if you are looking to give them a Biblical name. They have been quite popular for a long time, and never go out of style. If you are in a religious family or if you are religious yourself, consider using a Biblical name.  This list of Biblical boys’ names is provided by Baby Center.

  • Mark
  •  Moses
  •  Abel
  •  Judah
  •  Joshua
  •  Matthew
  •  Simon
  •  Luke
  •  Abraham
  •  Joseph
  •  Jared
  •  Saul
  •  Seth
  •  Elon
  •  Gabriel
  •  Philip
  •  Bartholomew
  •  Jokim
  •  Jesus
  •  Dan
  •  Paul
  •  Asher
  •  Reuben
  •  Hiram
  •  Timothy
  •  James
  •  Israel
  •  Zacharias
  •  Adam
  •  Peter
  •  Noah
  •  Thomas
  •  Rufus
  •  Aaron
  •  Jesse
  •  Samson
  •  Joel
  •  Immanuel
  •  Hillel
  •  Gad
  •  Silas
  •  Jacob
  •  Josiah
  •  Thaddeus
  •  Jethro
  •  Jabin
  •  Ezekiel
  •  Gideon
  •  John
  •  Barnabas
  •  Ephraim
  •  Isaac
  •  Ishmael
  •  Levi
  •  Meshach
  •  Andrew
  •  Benjamin
  •  Solomon
  •  Micah
  •  Stephen
  •  Barak
  •  Lucas

What are other boys names that start with E?

There are a plethora of other boys names that start with the letter E. You can take a look at the below list of names starting with the letter e if you already have a child named Elijah and want to continue the trend of naming your male children with the letter E, or you can consider other similar names to Elijah if you are not settled on it just yet. The below list of baby boy names that start with E is provided by The Bump.

  • Earl
  •  Efrayim
  •  Elgar
  •  Emory
  •  Elfred
  •  Ellison
  •  Emil
  •  Edmar
  •  Ethen
  •  Everett
  •  Elias
  •  Erwin
  •  Evart
  •  Esteban
  •  Esau
  •  Enrique
  •  Edmondo
  •  Eleazar
  •  Elger
  •  Earvin
  •  Evin
  •  Elyas
  •  Eliam
  •  Everardo
  •  Enda
  •  Edmond
  •  Eastman
  •  Elvern
  •  Eddison
  •  Emile
  •  Ellington
  •  Elvis
  •  Euell
  •  Eros
  •  Emmons
  •  Erik
  •  Erno
  •  Everest
  •  Elvio
  •  Erek
  •  Ephraim
  •  Elliot
  •  Elija
  •  Eliot
  •  Eamon
  •  Emerson
  •  Eitan
  •  Ebrahim
  •  Enos
  •  Elwyn
  •  Erick
  •  Ephrim
  •  Elden
  •  Emmerich
  •  Efraim
  •  Emmit
  •  Eldon
  •  Ellyson
  •  Edward
  •  Eann
  •  Erman
  •  Elmer
  •  Erol
  •  Evaan
  •  Ean
  •  Elihu
  •  Elazar
  •  Emanuel
  •  Everley
  •  Ercole
  •  Ethelbert
  •  Evander
  •  Erastus
  •  Elvin
  •  Enno
  •  Elam
  •  Ewing
  •  Edan
  •  Everette
  •  Edmund
  •  Euclid
  •  Eric
  •  Everlie
  •  Edgardo
  •  Erskin
  •  Eugene
  •  Eliezer
  •  Eduard
  •  Ezequiel
  •  Ewan
  •  Eskel
  •  Elber
  •  Eldredge
  •  Edyn
  •  Elemer
  •  Eidan
  •  Evald
  •  Estevan
  •  Egidio
  •  Erhardt
  •  Ensign
  •  Ernesto
  •  Eduardo
  •  Emiliano
  •  Egan
  •  Emyr
  •  Elie
  •  Ehud
  •  Ezri
  •  Edgar
  •  Emeri
  •  Efren
  •  Eldrid
  •  Elford
  •  Erland
  •  Elsworth
  •  Edson
  •  Eliott
  •  Enzo
  •  Edric
  •  Eskil
  •  Ewin
  •  Ellard
  •  Evyn
  •  Eamonn
  •  Efrain
  •  Elbridge
  •  Eberhard
  •  Elian
  •  Ervin
  •  Elimelech
  •  Ewald
  •  Erhard
  •  Eoin
  •  Elman
  •  Erich
  •  Emmitt
  •  Errol
  •  Erez
  •  Ezrah
  •  Eldrige
  •  Esdras
  •  Eder
  •  Espen
  •  Elton
  •  Eiden
  •  Ezekiel
  •  Enoch
  •  Ezio
  •  Elof
  •  Esaias
  •  Eian
  •  Ewart
  •  Emilio
  •  Ebenezer
  •  Eino
  •  Ethelwyn
  •  Emerey
  •  Ernest
  •  Earnest
  •  Ely
  •  Erhart
  •  Eugenio
  •  Erle
  •  Elroy
  •  Emir
  •  Esra
  •  Elwell
  •  Euclides
  •  Emrys
  •  Eben
  •  Elrod
  •  Ezra
  •  Eloy
  •  Ethan
  •  Eddrick
  •  Ewell
  •  Eb
  •  Etienne
  •  Enrico
  •  Eliyahu
  •  Earland
  •  Edrick
  •  Evian
  •  Eldor
  •  Eilert
  •  Essex
  •  Eustis
  •  Edison
  •  Emmery
  •  Elwood
  •  Ervine
  •  Elder
  •  Evans
  •  Everitt
  •  Eliseo
  •  Elia
  •  Ellis
  •  Eliana
  •  Elyes
  •  Edwin
  •  Emmanuel
  •  Emmanual
  •  Ellary
  •  Eloi
  •  Einar
  •  Ebenzer
  •  Emelio
  •  Ebeneser
  •  Eldin
  •  Eryk
  •  Eckhard
  •  Epifanio
  •  Elrey
  •  Eilam
  •  Edrik
  •  Eckardt
  •  Eon
  •  Ephriam
  •  Eriq
  •  Eustaquio
  •  Ederick
  •  Ephrem
  •  Elyott
  •  Eckhardt
  •  Elgin
  •  Egor
  •  Enosh
  •  Edom
  •  Eaman
  •  Elston
  •  Esequiel
  •  Eilon
  •  Erico
  •  Ebbaneza
  •  Ehsan
  •  Eagan
  •  Edelfieri
  •  Ezer
  •  Ebisu
  •  Estefan
  •  Edgard
  •  Everet
  •  Elchanan
  •  Eliu
  •  Ezar
  •  Eulogio
  •  Eustace
  •  Evangelos
  •  Edem
  •  Earlston
  •  Eban
  •  Esmond
  •  Elad
  •  Erikson
  •  Estes
  •  Eagle
  •  Ezechiel
  •  Eckard
  •  Eberhardt
  •  Elven
  •  Eadgar
  •  Erron
  •  Eadmund
  •  Emilian
  •  Evangelo
  •  Ernan
  •  Erroll
  •  Elwin
  •  Evert
  •  Egbert
  •  Enzio
  •  Eadwinn
  •  Eames
  •  Even
  •  Edwyn
  •  Erling
  •  Eldrich
  •  Enock
  •  Egon
  •  Engelbert
  •  Elpidio
  •  Evo
  •  Eleisha
  •  Emlynn
  •  Eriberto
  •  Ebner
  •  Earnan
  •  Ettore
  •  Edouard
  •  Estevon
  •  Eberlein
  •  Eatton
  •  Elishua
  •  Edrich
  •  Emerich
  •  Elex
  •  Edrian
  •  Erie
  •  Eusevio
  •  Efrem
  •  Euan
  •  Everard
  •  Evangelin
  •  Elroi
  •  Evion
  •  Eusebio
  •  Ednan
  •  Eoghan
  •  Edd
  •  Eberado
  •  Enea
  •  Ebert
  •  Edbert
  •  Ericksen
  •  Edsel
  •  Evaristo
  •  Edmundo
  •  Emanuele
  •  Erving
  •  Elpido
  •  Eagen
  •  Eberley
  •  Erasto
  •  Ebby
  •  Earle
  •  Eward
  •  Ellwood
  •  Elbert
  •  Elhanan
  •  Einer
  •  Ellsworth
  •  Elison
  •  Eleodoro
  •  Eberdt
  •  Ernst
  •  Ebenezar
  •  Eljin
  •  Elmore
  •  Ericson
  •  Eyal
  •  Edgerton
  •  Estuardo
  •  Ewen
  •  Edelin
  •  Eldred
  •  Edmon
  •  Eulalio
  •  Estanislao
  •  Ealdraed
  •  Emanual
  •  Erix
  •  Eri
  •  Eliran
  •  Edel
  •  Erric
  •  Eladio
  •  Elpidos
  •  Everado
  •  Eadweard
  •  Ebbie
  •  Eran
  •  Elson
  •  Edik
  •  Ederic
  •  Edoardo
  •  Eero
  •  Edwards
  •  Ephron
  •  Ernie
  •  Elek
  •  Eton
  •  Eion
  •  Eadward
  •  Emidio
  •  Epiphany
  •  Elmir
  •  Erasmus
  •  Elpidios
  •  Etan
  •  Essi
  •  Elmo
  •  Eaton
  •  Efran
  •  Eron
  •  Erminio
  •  Eberardo
  •  Eligio
  •  Evann
  •  Eneas
  •  Esias
  •  Emmory
  •  Eston
  •  Early
  •  Edelgiso
  •  Ebeneezer
  •  Ector
  •  Errick
  •  Eufemio
  •  Eber
  •  Eanna
  •  Edwardo
  •  Eldwin
  •  Ed
  •  Everton
  •  Eldridge
  •  Eliakim
  •  Edvard
  •  Erskine
  •  Erasmo
  •  Eldrick
  •  Elvyn
  •  Eberle
  •  Eilan
  •  Eleazer
  •  Eirik
  •  Eugen
  •  Earlham
  •  Earlton
  •  Evangel

Overall, the name Elijah comes from Christianity and Judaism and refers to the miracle worker in the bible from the northern kingdom of Israel. This name has been used since the 9th century BC during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah.

Sources:

  1. Baby names from the Bible | Baby Center 
  2. Explore Baby Boy Names That Start With E | The Bump 
  3. Elijah | Biography, Name, Meaning, Story, & Elisha | Britannica 
  4. Elijah: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity | Very Well Family