boy's name
Eliam
ee-LEE-am
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 6,297
the United States
#313
2025 births
Eliam is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God of the people". It joins el, God, to am, a people or nation, and belongs to a biblical figure named as the father of Bathsheba in the Book of Samuel.
- Eliam is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 1,085 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,056 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 2000.
Eliam over time
Births per decade in the United States, 2000s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 122 |
| 2010s | 1,029 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,288 |
What Eliam means
Eliam means God of the people, or God is kinsman depending on how the second element is read. Both readings turn on am, which in Hebrew covers a people, a nation and a wider kin group.
Where Eliam comes from
Eliam combines the Hebrew el, God, with am, a people, in the pattern of biblical sentence-names that make a statement rather than describe a child. The Second Book of Samuel names Eliam as the father of Bathsheba and lists another among David's warriors; the Chronicles version gives the first as Ammiel, the same two elements reversed, which is a common variation. Because am also carries the sense of kindred, some readings render it God is kinsman. As an English given name Eliam is very recent, appearing in our records only from 2000.
Eliam in use
Eliam first appears in our records in 2000 and reached its highest recorded use in 2025.
How popular is Eliam?
In 2025, Eliam was given to 1,085 babies in the United States, ranking #313 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Eliam is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Eliam is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Éliam | Éliam is a rare spelling of Eliam, written with an acute accent and recorded about 145 times, mostly in France. | 145 |
| Elïam | Elïam is a rare spelling of Eliam, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Eliam
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Eliam also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Eliam over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Eliam
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Eliam in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Eliam
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Eliam — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Eliam
What does the name Eliam mean?
God of the people, from the Hebrew el, God, and am, a people. Some readings give God is kinsman.
Is Eliam in the Bible?
Yes. The Second Book of Samuel names Eliam as the father of Bathsheba and lists another among David's warriors.
Is Eliam related to Eli?
Only in sharing the el element. Eli is a separate biblical name; Eli works as a short form of Eliam in modern use.
How popular is the name Eliam?
In 2025, Eliam was given to 1,085 babies in the United States, ranking #313 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Eliam a girl's or a boy's name?
Eliam is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Eliam most popular?
Eliam peaked in 2025, when 1,085 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Eliam?
Eliam is usually shortened to Eli.
Is Eliam a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Eliam currently ranks #313 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.