Elias
Elias was the 13th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,837 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 87 places. More babies were named Elias in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning 'my God is Yahweh' (via Elijah) · Hebrew
Say it ih-LY-us /ɪˈlaɪəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #13 boys, up 41 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,837boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20258,837 babies
- Total since 1880
- 129,502babies recorded
What does the name Elias mean?
Elias is the Greek and Latin form of Elijah, used in the New Testament and in many European languages. It goes back to the Hebrew Eliyahu, which DMNES glosses as 'Yahweh is God'. Medieval records show it widely, and DMNES lists English pet forms such as Ellot from 1379.
Ἠλίας (Ancient Greek, “Ēlias”)אליהו (Biblical Hebrew, “Eliyahu”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Nicknames for Elias
The usual nicknames for Elias are Eli. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Elias in the last five years, 57 were named Eli, against 125 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli · also for Eliezer, Elijah, Elliot | Traditional | #104 | 20,888 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Eliass go by each one.
Elias popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 239 since 1930, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13 | 8,837 |
| 2020 | #54 | 5,993 |
| 2010 | #141 | 2,830 |
| 2000 | #242 | 1,403 |
| 1990 | #361 | 666 |
| 1980 | #422 | 385 |
| 1970 | #538 | 226 |
| 1960 | #602 | 171 |
| 1950 | #529 | 163 |
| 1940 | #582 | 103 |
| 1930 | #453 | 172 |
| 1920 | #470 | 168 |
| 1910 | #474 | 34 |
| 1900 | #480 | 23 |
| 1890 | #289 | 36 |
| 1880 | #189 | 65 |
How popular is Elias, counting every spelling?
Elias is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #16 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #13 for Elias on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,896 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elias | 8,837 | #13 | 36,612 |
| Ellias | 23 | #4,435 | 151 |
| Eliaz | 36 | #3,265 | 127 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Elias?
8,837 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elias (2.45 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Elias born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 22. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.1 children named Elias.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elias?
About 120,800 people born in the US named Elias are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 20. That makes Elias a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Elias by state
How common Elias was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (2.8×), New Mexico (2.0×), Hawaii (1.8×), Nevada (1.8×), Arizona (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Vermont, Mississippi, Minnesota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elias: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elias, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elias · Sibling names for Elias
Questions about the name Elias
What does Elias mean?
Elias means “'my God is Yahweh' (via Elijah)” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elias?
Elias was the 13th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,837 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 87 places. More babies were named Elias in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Elias a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Elias in the US.
Where is Elias most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elias was most common in Alaska (11.67 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Hawaii.