Elias

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Elias

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Elias comes from the Greek (and English and Scandinavian) form of the name Elijah. Elijah comes from a Hebrew name meaning “God is Jehovah” from “El” and “Jahweh,” both of which refer to the Lord. Reverse the elements and one gets the name Joel.

History:
Elias, the Greek form of Elijah, can be found in England (often in the form Ellis) from the Middle Ages until the 15th century. After the Reformation, the Hebrew form of Elijah, became more common.

Both Elias and Elijah were common in the United States in the 19th century, declined during the 1900s, and were revived at the end of the 20th century.
Elias is not nearly as popular today as Elijah is.

Please see Elijah for more information.

Pronunciation: ee-lie-as.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Elias Canetti (1905-1994)
Bulgarian novelist. Winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884)
Finnish philologist.

Political Figures:
Elias Boudinot (1740-1821)
American Revolutionary figure.
Elias Hicks (1748-1830)
American abolitionist.
Elias Freij (1918-1998)
Palestinian politician.

Religious Figures:
Elias of Corona (1843-1253)
A follower of St. Francis of Assisi.

Scientists and Inventors:
Elias Fries (1794-1878)
Swedish botanist.
Elias Howe (1819-1967)
American inventor.
Elias James Corey (1928-)
American chemist. Winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.022 % named Elias

Popularity of Elias:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 81st most popular.
1850: 90th most popular.
1875: 151st most popular.
1900-1910: 353rd most popular.
1910-1920: 444th most popular.
1920-1930: 502nd most popular.
1930-1940: 423rd most popular.
1940-1950: 473rd most popular.
1950-1960: 584th most popular.
1960-1970: 574th most popular.
1970-1980: 447th most popular.
1980-1990: 372nd most popular.
1990: 340th most popular.
1991: 333rd most popular.
1992: 346th most popular.
1993: 333rd most popular.
1994: 311th most popular.
1995: 288th most popular.
1996: 289th most popular.
1997: 269th most popular.
1998: 260th most popular.
1999: 258th most popular.
2000: 241st most popular.
2001: 227th most popular.
2002: 220th most popular.
2003: 211th most popular.