How to say it
e · LIE · us
əˈlaɪ.əs
Masculine
Elias
Yahweh is God
What it means
Greek form of the Hebrew Eliyahu (the same name as Elijah). The roots are eli (my God) and yah (Yahweh).
Elias is the form the Hebrew Eliyahu took as it moved through the Greek Septuagint and into the New Testament, then through Christianity into most of Europe. The Spanish Elías and Portuguese Elias are widely used today, and the name has long been popular in German, Scandinavian, and Slavic countries. The English Elijah and the European Elias are technically the same biblical figure under two spellings, which is why many families pick one or the other depending on tradition. Elias has climbed into the US top fifty for boys since the 2000s, often shortened to Eli.
How to spell Elias
The standard spelling is Elias. Common variants include Elijah, Eliyahu, Elías, Elia, Eliasz, but Elias is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #13 in 2025, currently #13 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
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.
- Elias Howe American inventor of the lockstitch sewing machine
- Elias Canetti Bulgarian-born writer and winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Literature
Spelling variants
- Elijah
- Eliyahu
- Elías
- Elia
- Eliasz
Names with the same feeling
See Elias from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Elias mean?
- Greek form of the Hebrew Eliyahu (the same name as Elijah). The roots are eli (my God) and yah (Yahweh).
- What does Elias mean in Greek?
- In Greek, Elias means "Yahweh is God." Elias is the form the Hebrew Eliyahu took as it moved through the Greek Septuagint and into the New Testament, then through Christianity into most of Europe. The Spanish Elías and Portuguese Elias are widely used today, and the name has long been popular in German, Scandinavian, and Slavic countries. The English Elijah and the European Elias are technically the same biblical figure under two spellings, which is why many families pick one or the other depending on tradition. Elias has climbed into the US top fifty for boys since the 2000s, often shortened to Eli.
- How do you pronounce Elias?
- Elias is pronounced əˈlaɪ.əs. Say it as e-LIE-us, with the stress on the "lie" syllable.
- How do you spell Elias?
- The standard spelling is Elias. Common spelling variants include Elijah, Eliyahu, Elías, Elia, Eliasz.
- Is Elias a boy or girl name?
- Elias is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Elias?
- Elias ranked #13 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.