Elias

Elias is a biblical male first name, meaning '(my) God is Yahweh'. This name is derived from the Hebrew Elijáhu and has its roots in Old Hebrew.

What does the name Elias mean?

The name Elias means '(my) God is Yahweh' and is derived from the Hebrew Elijáhu. Its origins lie in Old Hebrew and can be traced back to the Hebrew name Eliyahu. This consists of the elements 'ēl (אֵל), meaning 'the Mighty' or 'God', and yâh (יָה), which stands for 'JHWH' (the name of God). The name became known through the prophet Elijah, a central figure in Judaism. In Germany, Elias was not very common until modern times. During the time of National Socialism, the name was even banned and was reserved exclusively for Jews. It was only towards the end of the 20th century that the name's popularity increased, making it one of the most sought-after male first names after the turn of the millennium.

Where does the name Elias come from?

The name Elias is the Latinized form of the ancient Greek Ēlías and has its roots in the Hebrew Elijáhu. The Hebrew name consists of 'el' (אֵל), meaning 'the Mighty, God', and 'jahwe' for 'JHWH' (the name of God).

How do you pronounce Elias?

Elias is usually pronounced in German as 'E-li-as' [eˈliːas], with the middle syllable emphasized with a long 'i'. The hissing 's' at the end adds a clear accent. The name has a timeless and friendly quality, sounding melodious, calm, and present.

When is the name day of Elias?

The name day for Elias is celebrated on March 24 (St. Elias of Rommersdorf) and July 20 (Prophet Elias).

Popularity

Although the name Elias has been documented in the German-speaking world since the Middle Ages, it had only a minor significance between the 1930s and 1970s, typically ranking between 200 and 600. For many decades, Elias was considered a rare boys' name in Germany and did not achieve high rankings.

Nicknames & pet names

Easy / Eias / Eilichen / El / Ela / Elas / Ele / Elei / Elen / Elesie / Eli / Elia / Eliasi / Elibeli / Elik / Elili / Elimaus / Elinchen / Elio / Elios / Elis / Elisi / Elitoni / Elitschi / Eliz / Eljas / Elji / Eljuscha / Ell / Ellas / Elli / Ellis / Elllliiii / Ello / Ellus / Elly / Elo / Elok / Elosch / Elschi / Elsi / Elso / Elson / Elu / Elvis / Ili / Ilyas / Laisi / Lias / Lie / Lio / Lisa / Lissas / Lisso / Litzo

Similar first names

Lisa, Lisbeth, Elia, Eliasz, Elija, Elyas, Ilias, Ilja, Ilyas

Famous people

• Camilo Elias Rencoret Lecaros (football player from Chile)
• Daniel Elias Brenner (composer from America)
• David Elias Heidenreich (American poet)
• Elias Abu Shabaki (Lebanese writer)
• Elias Ashmole (British historian)
• Elias Bazzi (Lebanese football player)
• Elias Bierdel (former chairman of the aid organization Cap Anamur)
• Elias Canetti (writer)
• Elias Durand (botanist from America)
• Elias Farah (Syrian writer)
• Elias Fernandez Albano (Chilean president 1910)
• Elias Figueroa (Chilean football player)
• Elias Gabriel Galvan (American bishop)
• Elias Garcia Martinez (Spanish painter)
• Elias Gleizer (Brazilian actor)
• Elias Gottlob Haußmann (German painter)
• Elias Grünebaum (German historian)
• Elias Gurevich (Uruguayan violinist)
• Elias Harger (actor)
• Elias Harris (basketball player)