Given name & surname
Elam
“one who is eternal”
Elam is a variant of Eilam. One Hebrew interpretation is “one who is eternal.”
Original Hebrewעילם
Meaning & origin
What it means
Elam is a variant of Eilam. One Hebrew interpretation is “one who is eternal.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Elam is a variant of Eilam. An origin associated with Eilam is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Elam appears in Genesis 14:1, Acts 2:9, Ezra 4:9 and 3 other passages.
- Genesis 14:1
- Acts 2:9
- Ezra 4:9
- Nehemiah 10:14
- Ezra 2:7
- Ezra 2:31
From biblical name research
Elam through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,940
- 2,940 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 144 babies
- 2025
- 64
- #2,213 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 64 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,213 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 144 in 2015. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (22). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,961 as a first name in 2020; 13,441 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elam’s family of names
Elam has a feminine form in Elama. Elam has a related form in Eilam. In English usage, Elam as a surname has a related form in Elem.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Elam
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Elam, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Abraham
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Eli
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Ali
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Elliot
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Beckham
“homestead”
98% boys · 2% girls