Elias

Elias is a masculine given name used across many languages and cultures. It derives from the Hebrew Eliyahu, meaning "Yahweh is my God." In Hebrew and Christian traditions, the form Elias appears in translations of the prophet Elijah; in Latin and some modern languages it remains a common form of that name. Variants include Elías (Spanish), Élias (French, Portuguese), and Ilias (Greek). In English and many European languages, Elias has been established as an independent given name and is common in Scandinavia, Germany, and the Americas.

In biblical and historical contexts, Elias is often encountered as the Latinized form of Elijah. The name has been adopted by many cultures and can be found among saints and scholars, athletes and artists.

Notable people named Elias include Elias Canetti (1905–1994), Bulgarian-born writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate; Elias Howe (1819–1867), American inventor of the sewing machine; Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884), Finnish physician, philologist, and compiler of the Kalevala; and Elias Pettersson (born 1998), Swedish professional ice hockey forward.

The name is also used as a surname in some regions and appears in fictional works as a given name for characters.