Elijah
Every Elijah since 1880 — 381,915 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Elijah
Elijah is a top-10 name for boys in the United States, ranked #7 in 2025 with 11,111 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 381,915 American babies have been named Elijah. Its peak came in 2011, when 14,034 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Elijah stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Elijah year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #7,226 | 11,111 | #7 |
| 2024 | 26 | #5,056 | 11,238 | #8 |
| 2023 | 20 | #6,025 | 11,523 | #5 |
| 2022 | 32 | #4,401 | 12,094 | #5 |
| 2021 | 28 | #4,755 | 12,845 | #4 |
| 2020 | 31 | #4,380 | 13,238 | #4 |
| 2019 | 21 | #5,848 | 13,436 | #5 |
| 2018 | 33 | #4,260 | 13,020 | #7 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4,842 | 13,449 | #8 |
| 2016 | 27 | #5,037 | 13,982 | #9 |
| 2015 | 28 | #4,894 | 13,710 | #11 |
| 2014 | 34 | #4,295 | 13,886 | #11 |
| 2013 | 33 | #4,355 | 13,829 | #11 |
| 2012 | 28 | #5,000 | 13,914 | #13 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4,390 | 14,001 | #13 |
| 2010 | 48 | #3,376 | 13,920 | #18 |
| 2009 | 37 | #4,125 | 12,846 | #21 |
| 2008 | 44 | #3,663 | 13,241 | #22 |
| 2007 | 40 | #3,936 | 12,424 | #30 |
| 2006 | 38 | #3,946 | 12,055 | #29 |
| 2005 | 39 | #3,755 | 11,612 | #31 |
| 2004 | 77 | #2,268 | 11,714 | #31 |
| 2003 | 46 | #3,198 | 10,665 | #37 |
| 2002 | 39 | #3,477 | 10,053 | #41 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3,266 | 8,339 | #45 |
| 2000 | 25 | #4,698 | 7,472 | #52 |
| 1995 | 35 | #3,238 | 3,977 | #93 |
| 1990 | 11 | #7,465 | 1,139 | #243 |
| 1985 | 8 | #7,778 | 681 | #299 |
| 1980 | 5 | #10,840 | 754 | #279 |
| 1975 | — | — | 263 | #491 |
| 1970 | — | — | 184 | #597 |
| 1965 | — | — | 122 | #672 |
| 1960 | — | — | 180 | #580 |
| 1955 | — | — | 235 | #478 |
| 1950 | — | — | 282 | #403 |
| 1945 | — | — | 237 | #388 |
| 1940 | — | — | 201 | #405 |
| 1935 | — | — | 210 | #374 |
| 1930 | — | — | 226 | #378 |
| 1925 | — | — | 283 | #348 |
| 1920 | — | — | 277 | #356 |
| 1915 | — | — | 243 | #340 |
| 1910 | — | — | 101 | #234 |
| 1905 | — | — | 81 | #212 |
| 1900 | — | — | 86 | #211 |
| 1895 | — | — | 75 | #194 |
| 1890 | — | — | 64 | #204 |
| 1885 | — | — | 82 | #163 |
| 1880 | — | — | 100 | #135 |
Famous people named Elijah
- Elijah Religious figure · -1000–-900
- Elijah Muhammad Politician · 1897–1975
- Elijah Wood Actor · b. 1981
- Elijah Cummings Politician · 1951–2019
- Elijah Kelley Actor · b. 1986
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Elijah in 2025?
Elijah ranked #7 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 11,111 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Elijah?
381,915 babies have been named Elijah in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Elijah most popular?
Elijah peaked in 2011, when 14,034 newborns received the name.
Is Elijah a boy or girl name?
Elijah is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Elijah rising or falling?
Elijah has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Elijah?
Well-known people named Elijah include Elijah (religious figure), Elijah Muhammad (politician), Elijah Wood (actor).