Elah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Elah

What is the meaning of the name Elah ?

The baby name Elah is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: EL-uh (/ˈɛlə/); Hebrew: eh-LAH (eˈlaː).

Elah is Hebrew in Origin.

Elah derives from Hebrew אֵלָה, the name of the terebinth (Pistacia) tree, often translated “oak,” a hardy landmark of the Levant; the Valley of Elah is where David faced Goliath. In Biblical Aramaic and later Syriac, Elah is also the common noun for “God,” a form that appears in Daniel (e.g., Elah šemayya, “God of heaven”). These strands give the name both a nature-based sense and a quiet theophoric resonance.

In Scripture the name is borne by men - most notably King Elah of Israel, son of Baasha, and the Elah who fathered Hoshea, the northern kingdom’s last king - yet in modern Hebrew usage Elah is chiefly feminine. Contemporary Israeli spellings include Ela and Ella (reflecting the final heh), while Eila/Ayla sometimes circulate as stylistic variants with mixed origins. Outside Israel it remains uncommon and broadly unisex, evoking rootedness, endurance, and grace.