Fun Facts About the Name Alijah
- More than 15 thousand babies named Alijah: U.S. records list 15,667 babies given the name Alijah from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,449 girls received the name Alijah - about 1 girl for every 10 boys.
What Does the Name Alijah Mean?
Alijah is a spelling variant of Elijah, a name that comes from the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew form is Eliyahu (אֵלִיָּהוּ), made of 'el, meaning "God," the attached -i, meaning "my," and yahu, a shortened form of the divine name YHWH. Read literally, the parts say "my God is Yahweh," which is often given in a looser customary form as "my God is the Lord." Alijah uses the same elements as Elijah; the difference between the two is the opening vowel, A instead of E, while the ending -ijah is unchanged. The Hebrew name also passed into Greek as Elias, which became the usual form of the name in many European languages. Alijah is not related in origin to the similar-looking Hebrew name Aliyah, which means "ascent."
Alijah Name History & Origins
Elijah is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. The books of 1 and 2 Kings present him as a champion of the worship of Yahweh against the worship of Baal and describe his being carried up to heaven in a whirlwind. In Jewish tradition he is tied to the coming of the Messiah, and both a cup at the Passover Seder and a chair at a circumcision are named for him. In the New Testament he appears at the Transfiguration, where the Greek form of his name, Elias, is used of him.
Elias, the Greek and Latin form, was the common version of the name in medieval Europe and was widely used there. The Hebrew-based spelling Elijah is the one used in English Protestant Bibles, including the Geneva Bible and the King James Version, and the name was in use in English-speaking countries from that period onward. Alijah is a later spelling of the same name that changes the first letter from E to A; it is found chiefly in the United States. It should be kept distinct from the Hebrew girl's name Aliyah, which comes from a different word, meaning "ascent," despite the near-identical spelling.
How Popular is the Name Alijah?
Alijah recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2021. Its best rank was #407 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,505 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #5,606 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2023 | #6,414 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #4,204 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2021 | #4,509 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #3,280 | 47 | 0.0029% |
| 2019 | #2,924 | 56 | 0.0033% |
| 2018 | #2,964 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 2017 | #2,781 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2016 | #2,968 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2015 | #2,211 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 2014 | #4,774 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #5,497 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #4,973 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #5,554 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2010 | #4,612 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #3,739 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2008 | #3,422 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2007 | #3,920 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #2,555 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2005 | #3,127 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 2004 | #2,852 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2003 | #2,440 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2002 | #2,709 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 2001 | #1,996 | 85 | 0.0047% |
| 2000 | #2,673 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 1999 | #2,642 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 1998 | #2,461 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 1997 | #3,106 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1996 | #3,095 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1995 | #3,880 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #4,246 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #5,424 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #11,790 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #11,552 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #469 | 651 | 0.0381% |
| 2024 | #430 | 734 | 0.0428% |
| 2023 | #443 | 699 | 0.0409% |
| 2022 | #470 | 653 | 0.0374% |
| 2021 | #407 | 762 | 0.0436% |
| 2020 | #447 | 667 | 0.0387% |
| 2019 | #483 | 605 | 0.0337% |
| 2018 | #489 | 590 | 0.0325% |
| 2017 | #476 | 619 | 0.0335% |
| 2016 | #509 | 588 | 0.0310% |
| 2015 | #482 | 621 | 0.0324% |
| 2014 | #484 | 580 | 0.0302% |
| 2013 | #509 | 525 | 0.0278% |
| 2012 | #454 | 600 | 0.0316% |
| 2011 | #458 | 582 | 0.0306% |
| 2010 | #470 | 553 | 0.0288% |
| 2009 | #471 | 580 | 0.0292% |
| 2008 | #470 | 587 | 0.0288% |
| 2007 | #550 | 468 | 0.0226% |
| 2006 | #585 | 418 | 0.0203% |
| 2005 | #596 | 379 | 0.0190% |
| 2004 | #633 | 333 | 0.0168% |
| 2003 | #658 | 300 | 0.0152% |
| 2002 | #684 | 266 | 0.0137% |
| 2001 | #909 | 172 | 0.0089% |
| 2000 | #1,027 | 142 | 0.0072% |
| 1999 | #1,039 | 133 | 0.0069% |
| 1998 | #1,189 | 104 | 0.0054% |
| 1997 | #1,263 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 1996 | #1,360 | 79 | 0.0042% |
| 1995 | #1,915 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1994 | #2,348 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1993 | #3,143 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1992 | #4,579 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #5,958 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #5,842 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #6,968 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #6,986 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Alijah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Alijah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alijah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.