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The short answer
Elliot is an English name, pronounced EL-ee-ət, used for both boys and girls. Behind the Name defines it as "from a surname that was a variant of Elliott", and its Elliott entry explains that surname as "derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias". Elias is the form of Elijah used in several languages, and Elijah comes from the Hebrew name Eliyyahu meaning "my God is Yahweh". So Elliot carries a biblical meaning through a chain of surname and pet-form steps. Behind the Name labels both spellings masculine and feminine. In the United States in 2025 Elliot ranked #151 for boys and #1035 for girls, according to the Social Security Administration.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name's definition of Elliot is brief: "from a surname that was a variant of Elliott", with the root given as the surname Elliot and usage labelled English, masculine and feminine, pronounced /ˈɛl.i.ət/. The Elliott entry supplies the next step: "from an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias". Behind the Name's Elias entry describes Elias as the "form of Elijah used in several languages", also "the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations", and its Elijah entry gives the Hebrew meaning: "from the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu) meaning 'my God is Yahweh', derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) and יָהּ (yah), both referring to the Hebrew God". The Elijah entry adds that in medieval England the name was usually spelled Elis, which fits Elliott's description as a medieval diminutive of Elias.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Elliot / Elliott (surname) | from a medieval diminutive of Elias |
| Greek / Latin | Elias | form of Elijah used in several languages |
| Hebrew | ʾEliyyahu (ʾel + yah) | my God is Yahweh |
Popularity
In the United States in 2025 Elliot ranked #151 for boys and #1035 for girls (Social Security Administration): established for boys, and used for girls at a much lower but measurable level. Behind the Name labels the name masculine and feminine and gives no US rank on the single-t entry. The two-t spelling Elliott was not ranked for this draft.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #151 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #1035 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #151 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Elliott
Related names: Elias, Elijah, Eli, Elis, Elian
What the name feels like
Elliot is soft-spoken and bookish: three light syllables, a gentle El- opening shared with Ella and Eleanor, and a surname pedigree that keeps it from feeling either old-fashioned or trendy. Those same qualities explain why it has crossed to the girls' list, where the El- sound is already familiar.
Style tags: surname name, unisex, three syllables, biblical root, gentle
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions and the name suggestions below are editorial opinion, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no nicknames for Elliot; Eli and Ell are natural short forms but undocumented as such. The explanation for the girls' usage is speculation.
If you like this name
Names that share Elliot's Elijah root, its El- sound or its soft surname style.
Similar by meaning
Similar by sound
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Elliot mean?
Elliot comes from an English surname, a variant of Elliott, which Behind the Name derives from a medieval diminutive of Elias. Elias is a form of Elijah, from the Hebrew name Eliyyahu meaning "my God is Yahweh".
Is Elliot a boy's name or a girl's name?
Both. Behind the Name labels Elliot masculine and feminine. In the United States in 2025 it ranked #151 for boys and #1035 for girls, so it is mainly a boys' name with growing use for girls.
Elliot or Elliott: which spelling is correct?
Both are used. Behind the Name treats Elliott as the main surname entry and Elliot as a variant of it; the two share the same pronunciation, EL-ee-ət.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elliot — supports definition (surname variant of Elliott), pronunciation, gender and usage labels.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elliott — supports surname derived from a medieval diminutive of Elias.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elias — supports Elias as form of Elijah, Greek New Testament form.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elijah — supports Hebrew meaning 'my God is Yahweh', medieval English spelling Elis.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity, gender usage.
