Elior, Eliora

• Origin: Hebrew אֱלִיאוֹרָה, אֱלִיאוֹר
• Meaning: “My God is my light.”
• Masc pron: (eh-lee-OR); Fem pron: el-ee-OH-rah)
• Variant Transcriptions Masculine Form: Élior (French-Jewish use)
• Variation Transcriptions Female Form: Eleora, Eliorah, Éliora (French-Jewish use)

Elior is a Hebrew masculine name composed of Eli (אֵלִי), meaning “my God,” and or (אוֹר), meaning “light,” hence “my God is light” or “my God is my light.” Eliora is its feminine form.

Although neither name appears in the Bible, its construction follows the traditional Hebrew practice of combining a reference to God with another meaningful element. Its sentiment is also distinctly biblical, recalling Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

Elior and Eliora are generally regarded as modern Hebrew names associated with the revival of Hebrew and the development of new personal names in Israel during the 20th century. However, records indicate that Eliora was already in occasional use among Jewish women during the early 1900s, predating the establishment of the State of Israel. It therefore may have originated somewhat earlier within the broader Hebrew revival movement rather than having been created after 1948.

The names remained extremely rare during the first half of the 20th century. In Israeli population data, Eliora is recorded among Israeli women born as early as 1949, while Elior is first recorded among those born in 1954. Elior became Elior subsequently became the more common of the two and is primarily masculine in Israel, though it has occasionally been given to girls. Eliora remains a rare but established feminine form.

Elior subsequently became the more common of the two in Israel. Approximately 3,686 people in Israel bear the name, around 91 percent of whom are male. It reached its highest usage in 1986, when at least 221 children received the name. In 2024, Elior was given to 53 boys and ranked as the 216th most popular name among Jewish boys in Israel.

Eliora remains much rarer in Israel. Approximately 146 Israeli women bear the name, and its highest recorded usage occurred in 1994, when eight girls received it. It did not rank among Israel’s leading female names in 2024.

In England & Wales, Eliora has appeared in the official statistics since 2003. It rose from #654 in 2024 to #444 in 2025, its highest rank to date.

In the United States, Eliora first entered the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names for the first time in 2025, rising nearly 400 places from the previous year to #914.

Sources

• Meaning and Hebrew forms: Behind the Name — Elior, Behind the Name — Eliora
• Biblical reference: Psalm 27:1 — Sefaria
• http://www.findagrave.com