Fun Facts About the Name Elya
- 658 babies named Elya: U.S. records list 658 babies given the name Elya from 1880 through 2025. Even 255 girls received the name Elya - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Elya Mean?
Elya is a Latin-alphabet form of the Hebrew name Eliya (אֵלִיָּה), a short form of Eliyahu (אֱלִיָּהוּ), which means My God is Yahweh or Yahweh is my God. The name combines el (אֵל), God, with the possessive ending -i, giving my God, and Yahu (יָהוּ), a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. English Bibles and name books often render the meaning as The Lord is my God or The Lord is God. In Russian, Эля (Elya) is a separate feminine diminutive of names such as Elizaveta, Eleonora, Ella, and Elvira, and in that use it does not carry the Hebrew meaning.
Elya Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name behind Elya is Eliyahu (אֱלִיָּהוּ), the name of the prophet Elijah in the Hebrew Bible. The shorter form Eliya (אֵלִיָּה) appears in the book of Malachi, where the prophet is called Eliya; the longer form Eliyahu appears in 1 Kings. The Greek form Elias (Ἠλίας) and the Latin Elias come from the same Hebrew name. In English Bibles, the Old Testament prophet is usually called Elijah, while Elias is the form used in the New Testament and in many European languages. Elya is a Latin-alphabet spelling of the shorter Hebrew form, and related forms such as Elye were used as masculine names in Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities.
In Russian and other Slavic languages, Эля (Elya) developed separately as a feminine diminutive of names beginning with El-, especially Elizaveta (Elizabeth), Eleonora, Ella, and Elvira. It is often used as an independent given name. This Slavic feminine name is not derived from the Hebrew prophet's name, even though the two can be spelled the same way in English. The Hebrew name is masculine, while the Russian diminutive is feminine. In English, the spelling Elya can represent either the Hebrew masculine name or the Slavic feminine name, depending on the family and context.
How Popular is the Name Elya?
Elya 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 #3,825 in 2019.
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 | #9,031 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #7,321 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #7,357 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #9,895 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #11,414 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,122 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #9,955 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #14,323 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #14,658 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #9,608 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #9,677 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #13,495 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #11,558 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #17,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #12,650 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #18,144 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #11,888 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #15,710 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #16,087 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #14,106 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #13,948 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #13,818 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #9,530 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #8,239 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #8,627 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #9,063 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #6,294 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #5,445 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #6,432 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #9,367 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,288 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2024 | #6,540 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #5,515 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #5,083 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2021 | #4,679 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2020 | #4,587 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #3,825 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #4,125 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2017 | #4,791 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #4,994 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #7,208 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #7,717 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #6,006 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #7,196 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #7,659 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #6,139 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #7,353 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #5,316 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #7,238 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #8,198 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #10,487 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #8,364 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #9,958 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,214 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #5,783 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #8,470 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #9,048 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #10,109 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #6,809 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #9,248 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #8,834 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,604 | 5 | 0.0002% |
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 Elya 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.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Elya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Elya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.