Elih
A feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly from Hebrew.
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the first name Elih. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Elih today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elih births was 2017 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elih. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Elih with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
137
~ 1 in 2,501,856 Americans
Peak year
2017
22 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,584
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Elih: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elih from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 115 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elih by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elih during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Elihs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Elih
The name Elih is an ancient one with roots that can be traced back to the Mesopotamian region of the Middle East. It is believed to have originated from the Akkadian language, which was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia around the 3rd millennium BC. The name Elih is thought to be derived from the Akkadian word "elu," meaning "high" or "exalted."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elih can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that dates back to around 2100 BC. In this epic, Elih is mentioned as a minor character, though the specific details of their role are not well-documented.
Throughout ancient history, the name Elih appeared in various texts and records from the region. It was particularly popular among the Babylonians, who were known to have used variations of the name such as "Elihu" and "Elijah."
One notable figure in history who bore the name Elih was Elih of Arpachiya, a Hurrian ruler who lived in the 14th century BC. He was known for his military conquests and for establishing a powerful kingdom in the region of modern-day northern Iraq and Syria.
Another historical figure with the name Elih was Elih ben Ammi, a Jewish scholar who lived in Babylon in the 6th century BC. He is credited with being one of the earliest translators of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic, a language that was widely spoken in the region at the time.
In the realm of religious texts, the name Elih is mentioned in the Book of Job from the Hebrew Bible. In this text, Elih is one of Job's friends who attempts to counsel him during his time of suffering.
During the medieval period, the name Elih saw some use among various Christian communities in the Middle East. One notable figure from this time was Elih of Edessa, a Syrian bishop and theologian who lived in the 6th century AD. He was known for his writings on theology and for his contributions to the development of Syriac literature.
Another historical figure named Elih was Elih al-Dimashqi, an Arab scholar and philosopher who lived in Damascus in the 9th century AD. He was known for his writings on philosophy, logic, and theology, and was considered one of the leading intellectuals of his time.
While the name Elih has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia, it has been used across various cultures and religions throughout history, appearing in texts and records from the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.
People
Elih + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elih as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elih: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elih?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 137 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elih going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,501,856 US residents.
Is Elih a common name?
We classify Elih as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 138 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elih most popular?
The single biggest year for Elih was 2017, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elih is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Elih in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elih a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elih in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Elih still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elih in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Elih can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Elih?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.