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The short answer
Elliott is an English name, pronounced EL-ee-ət, that is used for both boys and girls. Behind the Name derives it "from an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias", and labels it masculine and feminine. Elias, in turn, is described on its own Behind the Name entry as a form of Elijah whose Hebrew source name means "my God is Yahweh". In the United States in 2025 Elliott was far more common for boys, ranking #160, while also appearing on the girls' list at #599.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Elliott as "from an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias". The entry lists the surname Elliott as its root and gives the English pronunciation /ˈɛl.i.ət/. The Elias entry adds the next step: Elias is a "form of Elijah used in several languages", also the form used in the Greek New Testament, with the roots ʾel and Yahweh, and the Elijah entry glosses the Hebrew ʾEliyyahu as "my God is Yahweh"; Eli is listed there as its English diminutive. The chain is therefore: Elijah, its form Elias, a medieval pet form of Elias, a surname built on that pet form, and finally the modern given name taken from the surname. Behind the Name lists no variants or other-language forms on the Elliott entry.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Elliott (surname) | surname derived from a diminutive of Elias |
| Medieval English | Elias | form of Elijah used in several languages (Behind the Name, Elias entry) |
| Hebrew | ʾEliyyahu (Elijah) | "my God is Yahweh", from the roots ʾel and yah (Behind the Name, Elijah entry) |
Popularity
Elliott ranked #160 for boys and #599 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Its use for girls is real but far less frequent than for boys. No other national rankings were checked in this pass.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #160 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #599 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #160 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: None documented.
Related names: Elias, Elijah, Eli
What the name feels like
Elliott has a soft, literary feel: three light syllables, a surname shape and none of the hard consonants of many surname-names. It reads as gentle and slightly bookish for a boy and as crisp and modern for a girl, which helps explain its appearance on both lists.
Style tags: surname name, unisex, three syllables, biblical root
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial opinion, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no nicknames or variants for the Elliott spelling itself; Eli is documented only as a diminutive of Elias, so it appears under related names rather than nicknames.
If you like this name
Names that share Elliott's biblical root, its surname-name style or its soft sound.
Similar by meaning
Similar by style
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Elliott mean?
Elliott comes from an English surname that Behind the Name derives from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias, itself a form of Elijah, a Hebrew name meaning "my God is Yahweh".
Is Elliott a boy's name or a girl's name?
Both. Behind the Name labels it masculine and feminine. In the United States in 2025 it ranked #160 for boys and #599 for girls, so it is used mostly for boys.
How do you pronounce Elliott?
EL-ee-ət; Behind the Name gives the English pronunciation as /ˈɛl.i.ət/.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elliott — supports etymology, pronunciation, gender label.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elias — supports Elias as a form of Elijah, Hebrew roots, Eli as diminutive of Elias.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elijah — supports gloss of Elijah, Hebrew roots.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
