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Elijah Family History

Elijah Name Meaning

Welsh Jewish and African American: from the personal name Elijah the usual English transliteration in the King James Bible of the Hebrew name Eliyahu ‘Jehovah is God’ the name of an Old Testament prophet (compare Elias Ellis ). As a Welsh surname this is a comparatively late adoption of the personal name adopted after Old Testament personal names became popular among Nonconformists.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Elias, Elia, Klish, Elstad, Lian, Bligh, Oliva, Yelich, Lia, Elfman

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Elijah family from?

You can see how Elijah families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Elijah family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Elijah families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Elijah families living in New York. This was about 38% of all the recorded Elijah's in USA. New York had the highest population of Elijah families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Elijah surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Elijah ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Elijah. 39% of Elijah men worked as a Farmer and 46% of Elijah women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Elijah were Farm Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Elijah | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Laborer
    29%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farm Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    46%
  • Farm
    37%
  • Maid
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Elijah family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Elijah. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elijah census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Elijah

Passenger Lists

There are 258 immigration records available for the last name Elijah. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Elijah. For the veterans among your Elijah ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Elijah lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Elijah life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Elijah in 1962 was 70, and 62 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Elijah

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