Fun Facts About the Name Illijah
- 11 babies named Illijah: U.S. records list 11 babies given the name Illijah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Illijah Mean?
Illijah is a respelled variant of Elijah, a name from biblical Hebrew. It derives from the Hebrew Eliyyahu (אֱלִיָּהוּ), which is built from El ("God"), Yah (a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh), and the first-person element -i ("my"). The literal sense is "my God is Yahweh," often given as "Yahweh is God." A shorter Hebrew form, Eliyyah (אֵלִיָּה), also appears in the Bible and carries the same meaning. The initial I- and doubled ll in Illijah are features of the English spelling of the same name, not evidence of a different Hebrew root.
Illijah Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name behind Illijah is best known from the prophet Elijah in the books of Kings, where he opposes the worship of Baal in the kingdom of Israel. The longer form Eliyyahu and the shorter Eliyyah both appear in the Hebrew Bible, and the prophet is also named in the closing verses of Malachi.
As the name moved into Greek, it became Elias (Ἠλίας), and that form passed into Latin and then into many European languages, which is why traditions as different as Spanish and Portuguese use Elías. English Bibles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries used Elijah, taken from the Hebrew rather than from the Greek. Slavic-speaking regions developed their own forms beginning with the vowel I instead of E - Ilija in Serbian, Croatian, and Macedonian, and Iliya or Ilya in Bulgarian and Russian. In the New Testament, the Greek form Elias is used when the crowds ask whether John the Baptist is Elijah, and Elijah appears alongside Moses at the Transfiguration.
The spelling Illijah combines an initial I- with the recognizable -jah ending of the English biblical name. It fits the broader pattern of English respellings of Elijah that vary the opening vowel and the number of consonants, such as Alijah. The exact route by which this particular spelling arose is not documented here, so it is best understood as an English-written form of Elijah rather than as a distinct name with its own separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Illijah?
Illijah 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 2013. Its best rank was #11,261 in 2013.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #11,261 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,191 | 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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with I
How the Name Illijah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
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.
✦ Illijah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Illijah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.