Elijah in Chinese
How to write Elijah in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Elijah, written by sound
伊莱贾
Yīláijiǎ
- 伊yī
- 莱lái
- 贾jiǎ
This is how Elijah is written by sound: in the news, on maps and in translated books. Each character is there for its sound, so their meanings don't add up to anything.
You'll also see 以利亚, the everyday spelling.
But it isn't a Chinese name. Chinese parents choose a name for what it means, like the ones below.
Real Chinese names that sound like Elijah
Each one echoes the sound of Elijah and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Minimal name
Yì
resolute
More Chinese names for Elijah
Not as close to Elijah in sound, but each one is a real name with a meaning of its own.
Classic name
逸凡Yìfán
free and unworldly
yì
free and easy
fán
ordinary; the world
Classic name
一鸣Yīmíng
one cry that amazes all
yī
one
míng
to sing (of birds)
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Elijah, get eight real names in the style you like (classic, poetic, wuxia…) and pick the one that feels like you. It takes a minute.
How Chinese names work
The family name comes first, and it is almost always one character: 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 林 Lín. A few have two, like 欧阳 Ōuyáng.
The given name follows: one or two characters, chosen for what they mean. A virtue, a flower, a wish from the parents.
So with a family name in front, 毅 becomes a full name such as 林毅 (Lín Yì).
About the name Elijah
In the US, Elijah was the 10th most popular boys’ name of the 2010s. In 2025 it is number 7. In England and Wales it was number 312 in 1996 and is number 23 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).