How to say it
e · LI · a
əˈliː.ə
Feminine
Elia
My God is Yahweh
What it means
An Italian and Hebrew form of Elijah, from Eliyyahu, 'my God is Yahweh.'
Elia is a form of the biblical name Elijah, from the Hebrew Eliyyahu (אֵלִיָּהוּ), which joins El, 'God,' with Yah, a short form of Yahweh, giving 'my God is Yahweh.' It is the standard Italian spelling of Elijah, the prophet of the Hebrew Bible, and passed through Greek Elias and Latin into wide European use. Short, open, and vowel-rich, it works as a soft unisex name and is used here for a girl. It eased down a little in the 2025 US rankings.
How to spell Elia
The standard spelling is Elia. Common variants include Elijah, Elias, Eliah, but Elia is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #841 in 2024, currently #970 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
Often eh-LEE-ah, three syllables.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Elia Kazan Greek-American film and theatre director known for On the Waterfront
Spelling variants
- Elijah
- Elias
- Eliah
Names with the same feeling
See Elia from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Elia mean?
- An Italian and Hebrew form of Elijah, from Eliyyahu, 'my God is Yahweh.'
- What does Elia mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Elia means "My God is Yahweh." Elia is a form of the biblical name Elijah, from the Hebrew Eliyyahu (אֵלִיָּהוּ), which joins El, 'God,' with Yah, a short form of Yahweh, giving 'my God is Yahweh.' It is the standard Italian spelling of Elijah, the prophet of the Hebrew Bible, and passed through Greek Elias and Latin into wide European use. Short, open, and vowel-rich, it works as a soft unisex name and is used here for a girl. It eased down a little in the 2025 US rankings.
- How do you pronounce Elia?
- Elia is pronounced əˈliː.ə. Say it as e-LI-a, with the stress on the "li" syllable.
- How do you spell Elia?
- The standard spelling is Elia. Common spelling variants include Elijah, Elias, Eliah.
- Is Elia a boy or girl name?
- Elia is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Elia?
- Elia ranked #970 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.