Elijah

[ɪˈlaɪdʒə]

Meaning

from the Hebrew name ʾEliyyahu, meaning "my God is Yahweh"

Background Story

Elijah is the English form of the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu), derived from the roots ʾel and yah, both referring to the Hebrew God. The name was borne by a Hebrew prophet and miracle worker active in the 9th century BC, and it came into general use during the Middle Ages, partly through medieval tales and a few early saints usually known by the Latin form Elias. In medieval England it was usually spelled Elis, died out there by the 16th century, and was revived by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It became popular in the 1990s and 2000s, breaking into the top ten in America in 2016.