UK boy's name
Elkanah
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "God has created" or "God has acquired".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Elkanah is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Elkanah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4810, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 3 births.
This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2010 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Elkanah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Elkanah ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 3 boys were registered as Elkanah.
- • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elkanah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4810
2016
Births in 2016
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
3 births
Estimated living
9
2026
Meaning
What does Elkanah mean?
The name Elkanah is of Hebrew origin, derived from the elements "El" meaning "God" and "qanah" meaning "possessed" or "acquired". It is believed to have emerged during the biblical period, sometime around the 11th century BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Elkanah appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Samuel, Elkanah is the name of a Levite from Ramathaim-Zophim, who had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah, one of his wives, was initially barren but later gave birth to the prophet Samuel after praying fervently to God.
The name Elkanah was relatively uncommon in ancient times, but a few notable historical figures bore this name. One of the earliest known individuals was Elkanah ben Meshullam, a scribe who lived in Jerusalem during the 5th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Ezra as one of the leaders who helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
Another prominent individual with this name was Elkanah ben Hilkiah, a Levite who lived in the 7th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Chronicles as one of the gatekeepers responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tabernacle.
In the 2nd century BCE, there was a Jewish scholar named Elkanah ben Abuyah, also known as Acher ("Other"), who initially studied the Torah but later became a heretic and rejected his Jewish faith.
In more recent history, Elkanah Armitage (1787-1843) was a British missionary who worked in India and was instrumental in the establishment of the Baptist Mission Press in Serampore, which played a significant role in the translation and distribution of the Bible in various Indian languages.
Elkanah Cushman (1788-1825) was an American Baptist missionary who served in Burma (now Myanmar) and was one of the first Protestant missionaries to work in that region.
While the name Elkanah has fallen out of common use in modern times, it remains a part of religious and historical records, providing a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic heritage of the ancient Hebrew people.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Elkanah over time
The chart below shows babies named Elkanah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Elkanah, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2016, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elkanah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elkanah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4724 | 9 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Elkanah
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Elkanah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Elkanah in the UK right now?
In 2016, Elkanah was ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Elkanah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 3 babies registered as Elkanah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Elkanah?
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "God has created" or "God has acquired".
How many people are called Elkanah in the UK?
A total of 9 babies have been registered as Elkanah across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.