elia

Elia is a given name and, less commonly, a surname. It derives from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, which was rendered into Greek as Elias and into many other languages as Elia. The meaning is traditionally given as “My God is Yahweh.” In Italian and several Mediterranean languages, Elia is a masculine given name; it can also appear as a surname and, in some languages, as a feminine form or variant of related names.

In modern usage, Elia may function as a stand-alone name or as a variant of Elias or Elijah, depending on language and culture. The form has been adopted in various regions and can reflect local pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Notable people with the given name include Elia Kazan (born Elias Kazanjian, 1909–2003), a Turkish-born American director who anglicized his name, and Elia Suleiman (born 1960), a Palestinian filmmaker and actor known for works that blend comedy with political commentary.

Elia has also been used as a surname and appears in a range of place names and institutions, reflecting its long-standing presence in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim contexts as well as in secular usage. The name is related to but distinct from Elias, Elijah, and Elías, which are used in different linguistic traditions.

See also Elias, Elijah, Elías; Elia (surname).