Meaning and background
The story behind Elijah
Elijah has a specifically Hebrew religious meaning and the association of the prophet in the biblical Books of Kings. Those connections should remain explicit rather than being reduced to a generic meaning such as strong or spiritual. The English reference gives two accepted ways of sounding the consonant near the end. For a dog name, decide which reading you intend before choosing an everyday shortening. Its longer call offers a different rhythm from Eli, even when an owner considers them together.
- Origin
- From Hebrew Eliyyahu, a name expressing that Yahweh is the bearer’s God. Source
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Everyday moments“Elijah, come here!”
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About Elijah
Recorded as a dog’s name
Elijah appears in 9 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ɛlaɪdʒə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/ɛlaɪdʒə/ · primary stress on syllable 2EH0 L AY1 JH AH0
/ilaɪdʒə/ · primary stress on syllable 2IY0 L AY1 JH AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.