Name Elijah Origin, meaning, pronunciation & popularity of the name Elijah

Elijah is a ♂ boy’s name.

What is the origin of the name Elijah?

The biblical name Elijah derived from the Hebrew name ‘Eliyyahu (אֱלִיָּהוּ). In the Old Testament, Elijah was a Hebrew prophet.

What does the name Elijah mean?

Elijah means “my God is Yahweh” (from Hebrew “el/אֵל” God + “yah/יָה” = referring to the Hebrew God).

Other variants and nicknames

There are several different ways spelling Elijah, such as Elija, Elias, Ilija, Ilijah, Eliya, Eliyah, Iliya, Iliyah, Élijah and Elyjah. Popular nicknames are Eli, Lija, Lijah, Lije, Elay and Elish.

Middle names for Elijah

Parents love to pair Elijah with a middle name. Popular are combinations with other biblical names such as Gabriel, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Josiah, Noah, Lucas, Micah, Michael, Isiah and Jonah. Muslim parents like to pair Elijah with Muhammad or Mohammad.

Famous people named Elijah

• American actor and producer Elijah Jordan Wood (born 1981) is especially known for playing the hobbit “Bilbo Baggins” in the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
• American democratic politician Elijah Eugene Cummings (1951 - 2019) served from 1996 until his death 2019 in the United States House of Representatives for Maryland’s 7th congressional district. He was a civil rights advocate.
• The African-American leader of the “Nation of Islam“, Elijah Muhammad (1897 - 1975), was a self-proclaimed messenger of Allah. He taught African-Americans the teachings of the Quran and was one the most important religious figures in the U.S.

Fictional characters named Elijah

• In the TV show “The Originals”, Elijah Mikaelson, played by Daniel Gillies, is one of the first vampires, the original vampires. “The Originals” is a spin-off from the popular TV show “The Vampire Diaries”, in which he first appeared in season two.
• Elijah Baley is a protagonist in the “Robot Series” by Isaac Asimov. He is featured in the novels “The Caves of Steel”, “The Naked Sun” and “The Robots of Dawn“, as well as the short story “Mirror Image.”
• In the movies “Unbreakable” and “Glass”, Elijah Price, played by Samuel L. Jackson, is the main antagonist “Mr. Glass”.
• Elijah Leslie “Eli” Pepperjack is an important side character and classmate of the protagonists of the Netflix show “Trollhunters”.

Pronunciation of Elijah

Variants of the name Elijah

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Author: Juliane Schmetzer

Last updated: 10/12/2024

Photo: Adele Morris