The first name Elihu
A boy’s name.
3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
(secret society): Named after Elihu Yale.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Elihu last appeared in the official list in 2023, given to 3 boys.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Elihu with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Elihu at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 14 boys born in the United States were named Elihu, the 6,216th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1928, when 26 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Elihu
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Elihu RootAmerican politician (1845-1937)
- Elihu ThomsonAmerican inventor (1853–1937)
- Elihu B. WashburneAmerican politician and diplomat (1816–1887)
- Elihu KatzAmerican and Israeli sociologist (1926–2021)
- Elihu VedderAmerican artist (1836–1923)
Questions
- What does the name Elihu mean?
- (secret society): Named after Elihu Yale.
- How popular is the name Elihu?
- In 2023, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Elihu, ranking 4,991st.
- Is Elihu a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,236 US babies named Elihu since 1880 were boys.
- When was Elihu most popular?
- 1928 in the United States, when 26 babies were named Elihu, its highest rank at 1,461st.