Elijah

#7,133 for girls in 2025, 15 births · #7 for boys in 2025, 11,111 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2020 · 13,238 births
Debut · boys
100 births
In top 100 · boys
31 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
380,611
since 1880

Elijah over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201986peak #4, 2020boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#7,13315#711,111
2024#5,02126#811,238
2023#5,96020#511,523
2022#4,37832#512,094
2021#4,71928#412,845
2020#4,35831#413,238
2019#5,79821#513,436
2018#4,23733#713,020
2017#4,81128#813,449
2016#4,99027#913,982
2015#4,85328#1113,710
2014#4,26934#1113,886
2013#4,33633#1113,829
2012#4,95728#1313,914
2011#4,35333#1314,001
2010#3,36048#1813,920
2009#4,10737#2112,846
2008#3,64544#2213,241
2007#3,91840#3012,424
2006#3,91938#2912,055
2005#3,73039#3111,612
2004#2,26477#3111,714
2003#3,18746#3710,665
2002#3,46139#4110,053
2001#3,25642#458,339
2000#4,64925#527,472
1999#3,44336#606,596
1998#2,69150#665,662
1997#3,54732#745,089
1996#3,23736#814,818
1995#3,22035#933,977
1994#4,52122#1332,621
1993#6,62213#1701,882
1992#4,68621#2031,523
1991#5,65916#2221,345
1990#7,30311#2431,139
1989#6,16013#257991
1988#8,3918#266886
1987#7,3539#288746
1986#6,15611#289718
1985#7,5638#299681
1984#10,4225#310631
1983#6,21210#296671
1982#6,8889#280739
1981#8,1287#277750
1980#10,3925#279754
1979#9,0106#290696
1978#7,6497#320548
1977#9,6525#350504
1976#6,0489#450301
1975—#491263
1974—#472287
1973—#537212
1972—#551209
1971—#587196
1970—#596184
1969—#659143
1968—#680122
1967—#644134
1966—#626140
1965—#672122
1964—#618161
1963—#640149
1962—#583179
1961—#562194
1960—#580180
1959—#575185
1958—#532209
1957—#522218
1956—#533197
1955—#477235
1954#5,7535#453254
1953—#455248
1952—#431263
1951—#451223
1950—#403282
1949—#415267
1948#5,2435#427244
1947—#399296
1946—#426222
1945—#387237
1944—#399227
1943—#416221
1942—#387245
1941—#374239
1940—#404201
1939—#371237
1938—#407195
1937#3,8006#382210
1936—#365221
1935—#374210
1934—#378209
1933—#386198
1932—#365231
1931—#400198
1930—#378226
1929#4,5705#367243
1928—#365255
1927—#336290
1926#3,8737#348276
1925—#347283
1924—#374261
1923—#335302
1922—#327311
1921—#378257
1920—#355277
1919—#327295
1918—#358264
1917—#348256
1916—#353232
1915—#339243
1914—#339187
1913—#335149
1912—#302142
1911—#26794
1910—#233101
1909—#23190
1908—#26564
1907—#23376
1906—#24265
1905—#21281
1904—#24260
1903—#23958
1902—#22166
1901—#18379
1900—#21086
1899—#20564
1898—#19776
1897—#20965
1896—#18687
1895—#19475
1894—#23554
1893—#18977
1892—#18485
1891—#20957
1890—#20464
1889—#20861
1888—#17188
1887—#16875
1886—#15293
1885—#16282
1884—#16385
1883—#13392
1882—#126111
1881—#17269
1880—#135100
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Elijah was already there! It came in at #135, and was given to 100 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1893–1895, when fewer than 78 boys a year got the name.

Where Elijah is popular in 1986

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedNHWashington: #222 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,841 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #170 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,708 boysMNIllinois: #280 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 2,348 boysILWisconsin: #230 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,554 boysWIMichigan: #318 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 3,754 boysMINew York: #219 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 1,527 boysNYMassachusetts: #290 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,923 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedRIOregon: #218 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,797 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedSDIowa: #189 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,813 boysIAIndiana: #249 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,640 boysINOhio: #226 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 2,288 boysOHPennsylvania: #239 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 2,574 boysPANew Jersey: #329 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 3,660 boysNJConnecticut: #231 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,257 boysCTCalifornia: #333 for boys · 79 births · 1 in 2,890 boysCAUtah: #330 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,304 boysUTColorado: #244 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,098 boysCONebraska: #223 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,224 boysNEMissouri: #278 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,767 boysMOKentucky: #229 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,392 boysKYWest Virginia: #163 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,235 boysWVVirginia: #476 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,302 boysVAMaryland: #298 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,144 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedDEArizona: #220 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,432 boysAZNew Mexico: #230 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,261 boysNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedKSArkansas: #284 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,460 boysARTennessee: #390 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,474 boysTNNorth Carolina: #256 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 2,044 boysNCSouth Carolina: #280 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,108 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Elijah, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #213 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,606 boysOKLouisiana: #427 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,405 boysLAMississippi: #262 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,707 boysMSAlabama: #325 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,809 boysALGeorgia: #217 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,425 boysGAHawaii: #131 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 649 boysHITexas: #375 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 3,113 boysTXFlorida: #292 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 2,248 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Hawaii#131 · 1 in 649
  2. West Virginia#163 · 1 in 1,235
  3. Minnesota#170 · 1 in 1,708
  4. Iowa#189 · 1 in 1,813
  5. Oklahoma#213 · 1 in 1,606

Best ever in a state: #1 in Indiana, 2010.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#131101 in 649
West Virginia#16391 in 1,235
Minnesota#170181 in 1,708
Iowa#189101 in 1,813
Oklahoma#213141 in 1,606
Georgia#217311 in 1,425
Oregon#218101 in 1,797
New York#219801 in 1,527
Arizona#220191 in 1,432
Washington#222171 in 1,841
Nebraska#22351 in 2,224
Ohio#226331 in 2,288
Kentucky#229101 in 2,392
New Mexico#23091 in 1,261
Wisconsin#230131 in 2,554
Connecticut#23191 in 2,257
Pennsylvania#239301 in 2,574
Colorado#244121 in 2,098
Indiana#249141 in 2,640
North Carolina#256201 in 2,044
Mississippi#262101 in 1,707
Missouri#278131 in 2,767
Illinois#280341 in 2,348
South Carolina#280101 in 2,108
Arkansas#28461 in 2,460
Massachusetts#290101 in 3,923
Florida#292341 in 2,248
Maryland#29891 in 3,144
Michigan#318171 in 3,754
Alabama#32591 in 2,809
New Jersey#329131 in 3,660
Utah#33051 in 3,304
California#333791 in 2,890
Texas#375471 in 3,113
Tennessee#39071 in 4,474
Louisiana#427101 in 3,405
Virginia#47661 in 6,302
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Idaho———
Kansas———
Maine———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Elijah
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#8 → #7)
  • 3 spots since 2020 (#4 → #7)
  • 4 spots since 2015 (#11 → #7)
  • Biggest jump: 100 spots in 1977 (#450 → #350)
  • Biggest drop: 57 spots in 1963 (#583 → #640)
Rise & fade · boys
140 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2020 at #4 (13,238 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 10 yrs
  • Top 10: 10 yrs · run 2016–2025
  • Top 100: 31 yrs · run 1995–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 130
  • Highest: 1 in 130 boys born in 2020 were named Elijah (0.77%)
  • Latest: 1 in 154 boys born in 2025 (0.65%)
Era · boys
The 2010s
  • 36.0% of all boys named Elijah (137,147) were born in this decade
  • Comeback: #126 (1882) → #680 (1968) → #4 (2020)
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s856#126 (1882)#159
1890s704#184 (1892)#201
1900s725#183 (1901)#228
1910s1,963#233 (1910)#320
1920s2,755#327 (1922)#353
1930s2,135#365 (1932)#381
1940s2,399#374 (1941)#403
1950s2,314#403 (1950)#483
1960s1,524#562 (1961)#626
1970s3,400#290 (1979)#464
1980s7,567#257 (1989)#284
1990s34,652#60 (1999)#135
2000s110,421#21 (2009)#34
2010s137,147#5 (2019)#11
2020s72,049#4 (2020)#6

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Elijah in 1986

girls
#6,156
11 births · 1 in 155,959 girls
boys
#289
718 births · 1 in 2,565 boys

Top girls' names in 1986

  1. #1Jessica52,682
  2. #2Ashley49,671
  3. #3Amanda40,532
  4. #4Jennifer36,187
  5. #5Sarah28,163
  6. #6Stephanie22,651
  7. #7Nicole21,292
  8. #8Brittany20,313
  9. #9Heather19,790
  10. #10Elizabeth19,074
  11. #6,156Elijah11

Top boys' names in 1986

  1. #1Michael64,235
  2. #2Christopher56,693
  3. #3Matthew46,929
  4. #4Joshua37,542
  5. #5David37,150
  6. #6Daniel36,573
  7. #7James34,057
  8. #8Andrew33,858
  9. #9Robert31,350
  10. #10John30,209
  11. #289Elijah718
More about 1986

girls

1,715,547 girls got a published name in 1986; 1 in 155,959 of them was named Elijah, which outranked 52.0% of the 12,836 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Elijah
  1. #5,757Yumi12
  2. #5,757Zuleika12
  3. #5,757Zulma12
  4. #6,156Elijah11
  5. #6,156Aaren11
  6. #6,156Aarica11
  7. #6,156Abeer11
  8. #6,612Adeena10
  9. #6,612Adella10
  10. #6,612Adrean10

Tied with 455 names at #6,156; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 9,719Kyrie#10,677 → #958
  2. ↑ 4,778Sable#5,678 → #900
  3. ↑ 2,034Eliana#2,484 → #450
  4. ↑ 1,497Shatara#2,484 → #987
  5. ↑ 1,374Cherrelle#2,253 → #879
Fallers
  1. ↓ 442Violeta#963 → #1,405
  2. ↓ 361Micaela#545 → #906
  3. ↓ 361Tasia#572 → #933
  4. ↓ 324Jo#925 → #1,249
  5. ↓ 306Tammie#987 → #1,293

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,841,515 boys got a published name in 1986; 1 in 2,565 of them was named Elijah, which outranked 96.3% of the 7,830 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Elijah
  1. #286Ralph728
  2. #287Wade727
  3. #288Johnathon726
  4. #289Elijah718
  5. #289Andy718
  6. #291Kelvin715
  7. #291Lorenzo715
  8. #293Nelson714

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,279Spenser#2,226 → #947
  2. ↑ 920Jayce#1,614 → #694
  3. ↑ 714Addison#1,228 → #514
  4. ↑ 649Payton#1,614 → #965
  5. ↑ 573Cordell#1,181 → #608
Fallers
  1. ↓ 409Ulises#877 → #1,286
  2. ↓ 365Eliot#934 → #1,299
  3. ↓ 322Jordy#998 → #1,320
  4. ↓ 313Trace#956 → #1,269
  5. ↓ 292Kennith#963 → #1,255

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1986 →