stavbaby's list "BabyStav" of 3 great name ideas: Elijah - Declan!

BabyStav

The Top 10 boys' name Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements ’el and yah, both of which refer to God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire, a story sure to inspire any young Elijah.
 Like many biblical patriarch names, Elijah was on a long downward slide from the 19th century until the late 1960s, when it reversed course and headed uphill. Elijah was rejuvenated when Cher and Greg Allman bestowed it on their son Elijah Blue in 1976, and got another shot of youth serum via young actor Elijah Wood.
 Among other celebrities who have chosen Elijah for their boys are Donnie Wahlberg, James Spader, Tracy Nelson, Wynonna Judd and Bono (who followed it with <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> Bob Patricus Guggi G.).
 Elijah figures in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. There are numerous songs containing the name, and Elijah is also a character in many films and books—including Charles Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit.
 Elias is the related, Greek variation of Elijah, also quite popular. Eli is a separate, unrelated name, though sometimes used as a short form of both Elijah and Elias.

Elijah

Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today. 
While it may sound cool and fresh, Elias is a name with history and substance. It is the Greek form of the name Elijah, meaning "Yahweh is God," and was used in both the Greek New Testament and medieval tales. Elias was then given to early saints, to honor the miracles and work of the popular Biblical figure. 
Revived by Puritans in the 18th century, notable namesakes include the inventor of the sewing machine, Elias Howe, writer Elias Canetti and Walter Elias Disney. 
Felix Mendelssohn composed a popular oratorio named "Elias", while Sir Walter Scott, Anthony Trollope, and Thomas Hardy all have characters called Elias in their novels, giving the name literary and classical charm. 
In the US, Elias has seen significant usage from the 90s onwards with its popularity doubling during the 2010s.. Given to over 7600 boys in a recent year, Elias continues to climb the charts and has overtaken Eli as a go to El- choice. 
While still outranked by Elijah in the US, across Europe and South America, Elias is the preferred form. Popular in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay, and Mexico, Elias travels well. Most recently, it entered the UK Top 100 in 2022, replacing Ollie. 
The name has been chosen for characters in the popular horror podcast, The Magnus Archives, Cassandra Clare's trilogy "The Infernal Devices", and the TV series "Person of Interest." Elias has the celebrity seal of approval too, with singer Michael Bublé, actor Robert Downey Jr, tennis player Boris Becker and actress Barbara Becker choosing to use it for their sons. 
Handsome and refined as it is, the main problem with Elias is deciding whether you want to use it, or keep Elijah, Eli, Elliot, Elio, Eliza, Elizabeth, or Elise in the running. To avoid the problem, you could go with similar but lower ranking Tobias, Linus, or Ozias.

Elias

Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Deaglán, popularized in the 90s and 2000s following its appearance in the movie The Jackal. Also featured in the 2010 movie Leap Year, along with the soap operas, Emmerdale and Neighbours, and the series Breaking Bad, it has risen up the US charts to feature in the Top 150 in recent years.
 
Possibly meaning "man of prayer" or "man of goodness", St. Declan was one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland, preceding St. Patrick. Originally from Wales, he founded the monastery of Ardmore in Ireland.
 
Similar in sound and style Dylan, Dexter, and Nolan, Declan was the birth name of singer Elvis Costello, while singer Cyndi Lauper chose the Declyn spelling for her son, born in 1997. Other noteworthy Declans include footballer Declan Rice, presenter Declan "Dec" Donnelly, and singer Declan Galbraith.

BabyStav

The names

Elijah

Elias

Declan