Elias
Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew
“Yahweh is God”
Mostly boys · Latin from Greek
“person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable”
Say it suh-BAS-chunPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
Sebastian comes through Latin from Greek Sebastianos, referring to a person from Sebastia. The place name is connected with a Greek word meaning venerable. Its history includes an early Christian saint as well as characters in Shakespeare.
Seb, Bastian and Bash offer very different short forms. Parents can therefore keep the substantial full name while choosing a nickname that feels more understated, traditional or playful.
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 16 | 8,605 |
| 2025 | Girls | 9,995 | 10 |
| 2024 | Boys | 14 | 8,593 |
| 2024 | Girls | 6,362 | 19 |
| 2023 | Boys | 13 | 8,892 |
| 2023 | Girls | 7,581 | 15 |
| 2022 | Boys | 13 | 9,403 |
| 2022 | Girls | 17,368 | 5 |
| 2021 | Boys | 19 | 8,932 |
| 2021 | Girls | 8,899 | 12 |
| 2020 | Boys | 19 | 9,029 |
| 2020 | Girls | 13,252 | 7 |
| 2019 | Boys | 18 | 9,884 |
| 2019 | Girls | 8,076 | 14 |
| 2018 | Boys | 18 | 10,137 |
| 2018 | Girls | 9,716 | 11 |
| 2017 | Boys | 23 | 10,197 |
| 2017 | Girls | 8,713 | 13 |
| 2016 | Boys | 23 | 10,309 |
| 2016 | Girls | 7,550 | 16 |
| 2015 | Boys | 35 | 9,632 |
| 2015 | Girls | 6,205 | 21 |
| 2014 | Boys | 34 | 9,315 |
| 2014 | Girls | 10,824 | 10 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew
“Yahweh is God”
Hebrew
“help”
Latin
“happy, fortunate”
Hebrew
“God is my strength”
English from Latin, variation of Julius
“Uncertain; proposed meanings include youthful or downy-bearded”
Latin
“lion”