| Elijah | Samuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Yahweh is my God | God has heard |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ee-LY-juh | SAM-yoo-el |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2011 (14,001) | 2001 (14,813) |
| In 2025 | 11,111 | 8,334 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Elijah | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 72,049 | 50,328 |
| 2010s | 137,147 | 108,128 |
| 2000s | 110,421 | 138,647 |
| 1990s | 34,652 | 125,597 |
| 1980s | 7,567 | 73,456 |
| 1970s | 3,400 | 48,099 |
| 1960s | 1,524 | 44,247 |
| 1950s | 2,314 | 53,767 |
| 1940s | 2,399 | 43,129 |
| 1930s | 2,135 | 32,135 |
| 1920s | 2,755 | 43,362 |
| 1910s | 1,963 | 34,166 |
| 1900s | 725 | 8,149 |
| 1890s | 704 | 7,857 |
| 1880s | 856 | 9,129 |
Elijah is from the Hebrew Eliyyahu, “Yahweh is my God.” The prophet Elijah is a major figure in the Hebrew Bible.
Samuel is a Hebrew name read as “God has heard” or “name of God.” The prophet Samuel anointed the first kings of Israel.
Elijah is more popular than Samuel today: about 11,111 US babies were given the name Elijah in 2025, compared with 8,334 named Samuel.
Elijah means Yahweh is my God (Hebrew origin), while Samuel means God has heard (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Elijah first appears in 1880 and Samuel in 1880, so Elijah has the longer recorded history.