Name day
Elijah: Name Day and Patron Saint
Elijah keeps the name day on 20 July, or 2 August on the Old Calendar: the feast of the Prophet Elijah.
- Patron saint
- the Prophet Elijah
- New Calendar
- 20 July
- Old Calendar
- 2 August
- Next name day
- 20 July 2027 (New Calendar) · 2 August 2027 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of July · The feasts of August
The patron saint: the Prophet Elijah
Kept on 20 July, or 2 August on the Old Calendar · Holy Prophet Elijah
The holy and glorious Prophet Elijah was born in Tishba of Gilead, of the tribe of Levi, about nine hundred years before the coming of Christ. His name means “the Lord’s strength”. From his youth he gave himself wholly to the One God, living in the wilderness in fasting and prayer, and he is remembered as the first in the Old Testament dedicated to virginity. When King Ahab and Queen Jezebel led Israel to worship Baal, Elijah called the king to repentance and declared that no rain or dew would fall except at his prayer. For three and a half years the heavens were shut. God fed the prophet by ravens, then sent him to a poor widow of Zarephath, whose flour and oil did not run out and whose dead son he raised. On Mount Carmel he prayed, fire fell from heaven upon his soaked sacrifice, and the people cried, “Truly, the Lord is God!” Then he prayed again and rain came. Fleeing Jezebel to Mount Horeb, he met God not in wind, earthquake or fire, but in a gentle breeze. He anointed Elisha to follow him and was taken up alive into heaven in a chariot of fire. He spoke with Christ on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration, and Holy Tradition holds that he will return as forerunner of the Second Coming. The Church keeps his feast on 20 July (2 August on the Old Calendar). Since he opened the heavens by prayer, the faithful pray to him in time of drought and for seasonable weather.
What the faithful pray for
- deliverance from drought
- rain and seasonable weather
- zeal for God and courage to call others to repentance
- strength in discouragement and weariness
- the widow and the hungry in time of famine
Elijah in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Elijah, Elias, Ellis, Elia, Eliyahu, Ilya, Elliot, Elliott | Eli, Lige |
| Greek | Ηλίας, Ilias, Elias | Λιάκος, Λίας, Liakos |
| Russian | Илья, Илия, Ilya, Ilia, Iliya | Илюша, Ilyusha |
| Ukrainian | Ілля, Illia, Illya | |
| Bulgarian | Илия, Iliya | |
| Serbian | Илија, Ilija | |
| Romanian | Ilie | |
| Georgian | ილია, Ilia | |
| Arabic | إلياس, إيليا, Elias, Elie, Ilyas, Elia | |
| Spanish | Elías | |
| Italian | Elia |
An icon for Elijah
We don't carry an icon of the Prophet Elijah yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.
A name-day gift for Elijah
Name-Day Gift Set $213$149
A patron saint's folding diptych chosen by first name, a stainless steel crucifix and a prayer rope, in a gift box with a card giving the saint's life and feast day.
The St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel Folding Diptych is chosen, for the Guardian Angel every Orthodox Christian receives at baptism, and the name is filled in.
Other names with this saint
Questions
When is Elijah’s name day?
Elijah keeps the name day on 20 July on the New Calendar and on 2 August on the Old Calendar, the feast of the Prophet Elijah.
Who is the patron saint of Elijah?
the Prophet Elijah. The holy and glorious Prophet Elijah was born in Tishba of Gilead, of the tribe of Levi, about nine hundred years before the coming of Christ.
How is Elijah written in other languages?
Greek: Ηλίας (Ilias), Russian: Илья (Ilya), Ukrainian: Ілля (Illia), Bulgarian: Илия (Iliya), Serbian: Илија (Ilija) and Romanian: Ilie. Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Elijah?
We don’t carry an icon of the Prophet Elijah yet, and you can ask for one on this page. Every Orthodox Christian has a Guardian Angel from baptism, so the Name-Day Gift Set ($149) with the Guardian Angel diptych is always fitting.
More about name days
- Name Days Explained: What They Are, How Families Keep Them, and Gifts
A name day is the feast of the saint whose name you carry. Here is how to find yours on either calendar, how Greek and Russian families keep it, and what to give.
- Orthodox Patron Saint: How to Find Yours (by Name, Day or Choice)
Your Orthodox patron saint is the saint whose name you were given at baptism. Here is how to find yours by name, by the day of your birth or baptism, or by choice, and how to keep the name day.
- Find another name