Fun Facts About the Name Elham
- 445 babies named Elham: U.S. records list 445 babies given the name Elham from 1880 through 2025. Even 101 boys received the name Elham - about 1 boy for every 3 girls.
What Does the Name Elham Mean?
Elham is an Arabic given name meaning "inspiration." It comes from the Arabic noun ilhām (إلهام), built on the root l-h-m and formed from the verb alhama, "to inspire." In Islamic usage, ilhām is the inspiration that God places in a person's heart, and religious scholars distinguish it from wahy, the revelation granted to prophets. The name is used in Arabic-speaking countries and also in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and South Asia, where it takes forms such as Persian Elhām (الهام) and Turkish and Azerbaijani İlham. In Arabic the name is generally feminine, while in Turkish and Azerbaijani it is typically a male name.
Elham Name History & Origins
The word ilhām appears in the Quran, where Surah Ash-Shams (91:8) says that God inspired the soul with its wrongdoing and its God-consciousness. Because the term describes an inner prompting rather than the formal revelation given to prophets, it took on a specific place in Islamic thought, especially among Sufi writers who described inspiration received in the heart. From that religious vocabulary, ilhām passed into use as a personal name in the Muslim world. Persian speakers use Elhām; Turkish and Azerbaijani use İlham; and the name is also found in South Asia and in Muslim communities elsewhere. It is separate from the English village name Elham in Kent, which has its own Old English origin and is unrelated to the Arabic name.
How Popular is the Name Elham?
Elham has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2019. Its best rank was #4,745 in 1978.
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 | #10,325 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #15,911 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #7,350 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #8,158 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #8,611 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #8,092 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #7,462 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #14,306 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,938 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #12,093 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #11,160 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #11,253 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #11,277 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #15,513 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #9,321 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #14,278 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #11,914 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #10,949 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #11,627 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #12,445 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #10,067 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #8,246 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #13,936 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #10,609 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,578 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #7,604 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #10,745 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #6,942 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #6,290 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #8,415 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,497 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #9,554 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #8,369 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #5,319 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #5,177 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #4,745 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1974 | #7,972 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,444 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #6,241 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #7,879 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #6,931 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #6,422 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #7,674 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #9,974 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #9,993 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #6,789 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #10,160 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Elham Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Elham's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Elham's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.