Holding steady.
Popularity of Eligah since 1880
Babies named Eligah per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Eligah's real moment was 1902.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 30 |
| 1890s | 63 |
| 1900s | 86 |
| 1910s | 258 |
| 1920s | 330 |
| 1930s | 266 |
| 1940s | 197 |
| 1950s | 134 |
| 1960s | 37 |
| 1970s | 34 |
| 1980s | 61 |
| 1990s | 67 |
| 2000s | 113 |
| 2010s | 52 |
| 2020s | 12 |
Meaning & origin
Eligah is a rare and unconventional variant of the classic biblical name Elijah. First recorded in 1880, Eligah saw a modest peak in 1902, though it never achieved widespread use. Over the past several decades, the name has remained exceptionally uncommon, with no rank in the Social Security data for 2025. The trajectory is stable but at extremely low numbers. Given its rarity, the name Eligah offers a distinctive alternative to the more popular Elijah, appealing to parents seeking a name with a familiar sound but a unique spelling.
Eligah is a rare variant spelling of Elijah, which derives from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, meaning 'my God is Yahweh.' The variant Eligah appears in English records as early as the 1880s, though its exact origin is unclear. It may have emerged as a phonetic respelling or a simple alteration. Its usage has remained very low, with a small peak in the early 1900s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Eli, El
Sibling names for Eligah
Names that share Eligah's style, for a brother or sister.
