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Home › Baby Names Directory › Elia

Elia

♀ Girl

Pronounced EE-lee-uh /ˈiː.li.ə/High

Meaning: Feminine form of Elias or Elijah, from Hebrew Eliyahu meaning my God is Yahweh, combining el meaning God and yah meaning Yahweh; also an Italian diminutive formHigh

In 30 seconds: Elia is a beautiful short form of Elijah meaning my God is Yahweh. Used for girls in modern naming, it has a gentle, minimalist elegance that works across Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish traditions.
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningFeminine form of Elias or Elijah, from Hebrew Eliyahu meaning my God is Yahweh, combining el meaning God and yah meaning Yahweh; also an Italian diminutive form
U.S. rank (2025)#970 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births263 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 9,083

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202418842025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Elia as a feminine form draws on the Hebrew Eliyahu, the name of the great prophet Elijah in the Old Testament. In Italian tradition, Elia is also used as a masculine name and as a diminutive of names ending in -elia.

As a girl's name, Elia has been growing in the United States in the 2010s–2020s, valued for its short, musical quality and its soft ending. It belongs to the trend of giving traditionally masculine biblical names an elegant feminine form.

Did you know? Elia Kazan (1909–2003), the Greek-American stage and film director, gave the name literary and cinematic weight. He directed A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, both considered masterpieces of American drama.
Overall data confidence 89%
Behind the Name — Elia — Hebrew and Italian etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

EliahElyaEliaa

Nicknames

EliLia

Famous Bearers

  • ★Elia Kazan (1909-2003)
    Greek-American film and theatre director who won two Academy Awards for Best Director
  • ★Elia Suleiman (1960-)
    Palestinian filmmaker and actor known for Divine Intervention
  • ★Elia Viviani (1989-)
    Italian track and road cyclist and Olympic champion

If you like Elia…

Eliana— shares the Hebrew El- root and the lyrical feminine elaboration
Eliora— same Hebrew God-light meaning and soft feminine three-syllable form
Lyra— shares the musical brevity and the celestial, timeless quality
Mia— same minimalist soft-ending modern girl name energy

Explore names like Elia

By thememodernhebrewbiblicalthree-syllableminimalist
By meaningGod / Divine

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Elia mean?

Elia means my God is Yahweh as a feminine form of Elijah, from Hebrew Eliyahu combining el (God) and yah (Yahweh).

How do you pronounce Elia?

It is said EE-lee-uh, with three syllables and stress on the first.

Is Elia a girl or boy name?

Elia is used for both, but in the United States it is increasingly used as a girls name. In Italy it is traditionally masculine.

Is Elia the same as Elijah?

Elia is a short form of Elijah/Elias from the same Hebrew root meaning my God is Yahweh.

💬 Ask Nia