Elijah vs Muhammad
Elijah and Muhammadcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #23 and Muhammad #1 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #76 and Muhammad #2 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #7 and Muhammad #21 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #97 and Muhammad #35 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #57 and Muhammad #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Elijah and Muhammad over time
Elijah and Muhammad appear together in 4 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Elijah #23 in 2024, Muhammad #1 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Muhammad in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #23 in 2024, Muhammad #1 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #23, Muhammad #1.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Muhammad in 25.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #97 in 2025, Muhammad #35 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #97, Muhammad #35.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 2012–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Muhammad in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #7 in 2025, Muhammad #21 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #7, Muhammad #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2005–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Muhammad in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #52 in 2023, Muhammad #154 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #57, Muhammad #154.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Elijah | Muhammad |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. | Praiseworthy, commendable. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Arabic |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ | /muˈħammad/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Mohammed, Mohammad, Mehmed |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Muhammad is recorded with a Arabic origin.
- Elijah and Muhammad both have 3 syllables.
- Elijah's recorded meaning differs from Muhammad's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Elijah a "medium" Data Confidence level and Muhammad a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Muhammad
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #319 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys