boy's name
Elliot
EL-ee-ət
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 112,672
the United States
#151
2025 births
Elliot is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my God." It descends from Elijah through the medieval English Elias, became a surname, and returned to first-name use — the same path as Ellis.
- Elliot is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2017, when 2,932 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,247 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Elliot over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 26 |
| 1890s | 62 |
| 1900s | 62 |
| 1910s | 453 |
| 1920s | 837 |
| 1930s | 801 |
| 1940s | 1,641 |
| 1950s | 1,606 |
| 1960s | 1,487 |
| 1970s | 1,944 |
| 1980s | 4,512 |
| 1990s | 5,377 |
| 2000s | 8,346 |
| 2010s | 22,261 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 16,185 |
What Elliot means
Elliot means the Lord is my God, inherited from Elijah. The Hebrew Eliyahu combines eli, my God, with yahu, the divine name, making the name a declaration rather than a description.
Where Elliot comes from
Elliot comes from the medieval English Elias, itself the Greek form of the Hebrew Eliyahu. English speakers formed the diminutive Eliot, added a t, and the result became a hereditary surname — most prominently in the Scottish Borders, where Elliot is a major reiver family name. It returned to first-name use in the twentieth century. The spelling is genuinely unsettled: Elliot, Elliott, Eliot and Elyot all coexist, and the Border families are said to have distinguished branches by the number of doubled letters.
Elliot in use
Our data records Elliot for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2017 and still rising, at 95 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Its use for girls is recent and follows Ellie rather than the surname tradition, mirroring Ellis exactly.
How popular is Elliot?
In 2025, Elliot was given to 2,658 babies in the United States, ranking #151 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Elliot 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 Elliot is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Élliot | Élliot is a rare spelling of Elliot, written with an acute accent and recorded about 20 times, mostly in France. | 20 |
Names that peaked alongside Elliot
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Elliot also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Elliot over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Elliot
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.
Elliot 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 Elliot
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Elliot — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Elliot
What does the name Elliot mean?
Elliot means "the Lord is my God," from the Hebrew Eliyahu by way of Elias.
Is it Elliot or Elliott?
Both, along with Eliot and Elyot. The Scottish Border families are said to have distinguished branches by the doubled letters.
Are Elliot and Ellis related?
Yes — both descend from the medieval English Elias, and both became surnames before returning as first names.
How popular is the name Elliot?
In 2025, Elliot was given to 2,658 babies in the United States, ranking #151 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Elliot a girl's or a boy's name?
Elliot is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Elliot?
Elliot has 3 syllables.
When was Elliot most popular?
Elliot peaked in 2017, when 2,932 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Elliot?
Elliot is usually shortened to Eli, El and Elli.
Is Elliot a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Elliot currently ranks #54 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.