Elijah
Boy name · #7 in 2025 · Very well-known
Elijah is currently the #7 boy name in the United States — 11,111 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #11, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 162 boys born in 2025 was named Elijah.
The 145-year story
Elijah first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 100 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2011, when 14,001 boys were named Elijah — good for #13 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Elijah per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elijah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elijah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elijah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Elijah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elijah is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Elijah is most common in HI (17 per 1,000), AK (13 per 1,000), WY (12 per 1,000), NM (12 per 1,000), DE (12 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 7.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Elijah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Elijah
Elijah carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Elijah family went to about 14,529 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #4, versus #7 for Elijah alone.
Names like Elijah
Statistically, parents drawn to Elijah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lucas, Noah, Elias, Ethan, and Julian.
LucasNoahEliasEthanJulianHenrySebastianLevi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elijah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11,111 | #7 |
| 2024 | 11,238 | #8 |
| 2023 | 11,523 | #5 |
| 2022 | 12,094 | #5 |
| 2021 | 12,845 | #4 |
| 2020 | 13,238 | #4 |
| 2019 | 13,436 | #5 |
| 2018 | 13,020 | #7 |
| 2017 | 13,449 | #8 |
| 2016 | 13,982 | #9 |
| 2015 | 13,710 | #11 |
| 2014 | 13,886 | #11 |
| 2013 | 13,829 | #11 |
| 2012 | 13,914 | #13 |
| 2011 | 14,001 | #13 |
| 2010 | 13,920 | #18 |
| 2009 | 12,846 | #21 |
| 2008 | 13,241 | #22 |
| 2007 | 12,424 | #30 |
| 2006 | 12,055 | #29 |
| 2005 | 11,612 | #31 |
| 2004 | 11,714 | #31 |
| 2003 | 10,665 | #37 |
| 2002 | 10,053 | #41 |
| 2001 | 8,339 | #45 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elijah a popular boy name?
Elijah ranked #7 among boys in 2025 with 11,111 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #11.
When was the name Elijah most popular?
Elijah peaked in 2011, when 14,001 American boys received the name (ranked #13 that year). Since 2011 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Elijah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 162 newborn American boys was named Elijah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.