Given name
Elimelech
“God is kind”
Elimelech is used as a given name. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is kind.”
Original Hebrewאלימלך
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “God is kind.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From the Hebrew word 'el (אל), “God,” and the Hebrew noun melek (מלך), “king.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1967. 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 Elimelech appears in Ruth 1:2.
From biblical name research
Elimelech through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,140
- 1,140 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 48 babies
- 2025
- 37
- #3,203 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +18%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 37 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,203 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (26). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 789 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elimelech’s family of names
Elimelech has a related form in Elimeleck. Elimelech has a related form in Elimelek. Elimelech has a related form in Elymelech.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 14
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Elimelech
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
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