Given name & surname
Elliot
“the shining light”·“Jehovah is my God”
In English use, Elliot has a related form in Ellen. In English use, Ellen carries the interpretation “the shining light.” In English use, Elliot has a related form in Elliott. In English use, Elliott carries the interpretation “Jehovah is my God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Elliot has a related form in Ellen. In English use, Ellen carries the interpretation “the shining light.” In English use, Elliot has a related form in Elliott. In English use, Elliott carries the interpretation “Jehovah is my God.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Elliot through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 65,600
- 58,592 boys · 7,008 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 2,932 babies
- 2025
- 2,658
- #151 for boys · #1,035 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 85% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,417 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 151 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 241 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (237). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 45,706 as a first name in 2020; 7,548 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.
Elliot’s family of names
In English usage, Elliot has a diminutive in Ellie. In Swedish usage, Elliot developed from the English form Elliott. In English usage, Elliot has a related form in Ellen.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Elliot has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
11 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elliediminutive · English
- Elliottvariant · English, Swedish
- Ellenvariant · English
- Eliotvariant · Swedish
- Eliottvariant · English, French
- Élliottvariant · French
- Élliotvariant · French
- Éliottvariant · French
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Elliot
- Elliot PageCanadian actorborn 1987
- Elliot AndersonEnglish footballer (born 2002)
- ExampleBritish musicianborn 1982
- Elliot GoldenthalAmerican composerborn 1954
- Elliot RichardsonAmerican lawyer and politician (1920-1999)
- Elliot SeeAmerican test pilot and NASA astronaut (1927-1966)
- Elliot StroudSwedish footballer (born 2002)
- Elliot RodgerAmerican perpetratrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings (1991–2014); popularizer of the incelosphere
- Harvey AtkinCanadian actor (1942–2017)
Characters named Elliot: Elliot Reid (the television series Scrubs).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Elliot, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys
Elijah
“yahweh is God” · “jehovah is my God”
>99% boys
Eliam
“the God of my nation”
>99% boys
Elias
“Jehovah is my God” · “yahweh is God”
>99% boys
Abraham
“father of a multitude (of nations)” · “father of a multitude; father of nations”
>99% boys
Emmanuel
“God is with us”
>99% boys
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys