Elias: meaning and UK use

What does Elias mean?

Elias is a form of Elijah used across several languages, including the Greek New Testament tradition. English pronunciation is only one of several.

Language or name family covered

International biblical name family

Meaning or derivation

A form of Elijah

Our browsing group

boy; international, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Elias

Pronunciation and related forms

ih-LYE-uhs or ee-LYE-uhs (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Elijah, Eli. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Elias?

In 2025, 738 baby boys in England and Wales were registered as Elias, making it the 69th most popular boys’ name. That is up 10 places on 2024, when it ranked 79th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 189th, so it has climbed 120 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (boys)

69th

2025 registrations

738

Best rank in this series

69th (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Elias: rank and number of baby boys by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	69	738
2024	79	687
2023	96	561
2022	96	572
2021	109	547
2020	113	510
2019	117	491
2018	123	471
2017	129	454
2016	168	342
2015	189	304
2014	192	294
2013	230	226
2012	247	198
2011	246	195
2010	275	166
2009	319	125
2008	371	101
2007	351	104
2006	350	100
2005	365	86
2004	321	93
2003	406	64
2002	373	64
2001	365	66
2000	422	51
1999	371	61
1998	502	39
1997	567	31
1996	435	46

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 boys series is 7,787. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Elias

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Arjuninternational, classic · A modern form of Arjuna
• Hugoclassic, international · An old German form of Hugh
• Kofiinternational, classic · Born on Friday
• Kwameinternational, classic · Born on Saturday
• Muhammadclassic, international · Praised or commendable
• Roryinternational, classic · An anglicised form of Ruaidhrí

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Elias, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.