Updated October 2024
Across 4 pages
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Variation of Elijah or Aliyah, Hebrew; Arabic
"Yahweh is god; rising, to ascend; heavens, highborn, exalted"
Eliya may be thought of as a female variation on the popular Biblical boys' name Elijah or a spelling variation of the popular girls' name Aliyah. It may not rank among the US Top 1000 and it may…
Hebrew
"God will raise up"
Little-used name borne by several biblical figures including a king. It would make an unexpected way to get the nickname Eli - or Kim.
"eternal"
One of Noah's biblical grandsons, making it a natural to honor a relative with the name of the ark builder.
Variation of Eliana, Hebrew, or Latin from Greek
"my God has answered; sun"
Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.
"Jehovah is God"
Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
Diminutive of Esther, Persian
"star"
Este -- think Esme with a t -- comes to us via one of the rocking sisters in the musical group Haim. For long best known as the Esther diminutive used by cosmetics queen Estee Lauder, Este is a…
"my witness"
A possibility for parents seeking a Hebrew name with an English-language sound.
"strong, firm"
This Hebrew form of Ethan is commonly heard in Israel. Other forms are Eitan and Eytan
"God is my joy"
Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.
"bird, lark"
This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.
Variation of Lazarus
"God is my helper"
Four-syllable names can be tricky, but this rarely used Old Testament appellation has considerable potential. In the Bible, Eleazer is a son of Aaron and nephew of Moses who succeeds his father as…
Hebrew, pet form of Ebenezer
"stone of help"
Affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it.
"spirited"
Hillbilly twang.
"angel"
Erelah (and Erela and Erella) are feminine forms of the Hebrew unisex name Erel, which may be derived from Ariel.
"God has judged"
A bit too elephantine for a modern child.
This feminine form of the Hebrew unisex name Erel, possibly a form of Ariel, is used in modern Israel. Also found as Erella and Erelah.
Spelling variation of Ephraim, Hebrew
"fruitful, fertile, productive"
The Ephram spelling, a phonetic spin on the original, may gain ground as it's the one used for the hero's name in the novel Ruby by Cynthia Bond, the new pick for Oprah's book club.
Hebrew, female form of Elul, month name
Elula, female derivation of Elul, the name of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar, was used by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter. The couple kept their unusual choice…
"gloomy"
Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.
"God has helped"
In Exodus, a son of Aaron: an interesting, undiscovered Old Testament name.