This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Elias m. Hebrew אליהו 'Yahweh is God'. The most common medieval forms were influenced by Latin (H)elias, deriving from the Greek form Ἠλίας.

The name of a Biblical prophet and a 4th C martyr. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Elie.

The English diminutive Ellot and the vernacular forms Elis and Elys are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Ellotsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 304), Elismañ (WRYPT1 p. 293), and Elyssoñ (WRYPT1 p. 298).

Belgium
Dutch
1597x1598 Helias BoonenGes p. 382
Czech Republic
Latin
1387 Helye (gen) LDFPUP1 p. 14
England
Latin
1155 Helia (abl) FPD p. 121, fn. 1, Heliam (acc) ibid. p. 121, fn. 1, Helias (nom) ibid. p. 121, fn. 1, Heliæ (dat) ibid. p. 121, fn. 1; 1189 Helia (nom) GASurv p. 177, Helie (gen) ibid. p. 85, Helyas (nom) ibid. p. 181, Helye (gen) ibid. p. 220; 1194 Elias (nom) RotCur-vol1 p. 5, Elie (gen) ibid. p. 7, Helia (nom) ibid. p. 3, Helie (gen) ibid. p. 7; 1222 Elyas (nom) StPaulDom p. 9, Helias (nom) ibid. p. 46, Helyas (nom) ibid. p. 9; 1256 Eliam (acc) EARNb p. 6, Elias (nom) ibid. p. 6, Eliæ (gen) ibid. p. 2; 1279–80 Elias (nom) WaHR-SK p. 67, Elyas (nom) ibid. p. 68; 1296 Elye (gen) RCS-1 p. 94a; 1300 Elyas (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 232, Elye (gen) ibid. p. 240; 1302 Elyas (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 4; 1325 Eliam (acc) PSS-CXIV 10f; 1340xc1450 Elyas (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 6, Elys (nom) ibid. p. 6; 1379 Elyas (nom) WRYPT1 p. 6; 1381 Elia (abl) Suffolk1381 p. 90, Eliam (acc) ibid. p. 109, Elias (nom) ibid. p. 131; 1485–1486 Elia (abl) CovGuild-2 p. 65, Elys (abl) ibid. p. 74
1189 Eliot (nom) GASurv p. 136; 1452 Elyott (dat) Bar-in-El p. 3
Anglo-French
1245–1250[1586] Elis Glover 203
Dutch
1571 Elias AuFr Knoipt; 1572 Elias ibid. Meij; 1574 Helias ibid. Jansz, Olie ibid. Meij; 1576 Elias ibid. Aken; 1578 Elias ibid. Peijster; 1580 Elias ibid. Assens; 1583 Elias ibid. Meij; 1586 Elias ibid. Bonnette; 1591 Elias ibid. Coppens; 1592 Helias ibid. Staelens; 1593 Elias ibid. Capelle
Early Modern English
1529 Elys PP-HenV p. 8; 1543 Ellis RegIng p. 2; 1551 Ellis StAnthonlin p. 8; 1559 Elis RegSASel p. 4; 1562 Elyes DEmar-vol1 p. 80; 1563 Ellis RegIng p. 5; 1567 Elias StAnthonlin p. 19; 1579 Ellis DEmar-vol1 p. 84; 1581 Ellis DEmar-vol2 p. 6; 1583 Ellis ibid. p. 9; 1583/4 Ellis SurMus p. 19; 1583 Ellis bruton1 p. 8; 1583/4 Ellys SurMus p. 74; 1587 Ellis DEmar-vol2 p. 14; 1588 Elias RegBisham p. 5; 1590 Ellis DEmar-vol2 p. 21; 1594/5 Ellis RegFord p. 2; 1597 Eles COmar-vol5 p. 10; 1598 Ellis DEmar-vol2 p. 39; 1599 Ellis ibid. p. 40, bruton1 p. 126, Elys ibid. p. 57
Middle French
1570 Helie WCS p. 6; 1575 Helie ibid. p. 11; 1576 helie ibid. p. 12; 1577 Helie ibid. p. 43; 1578 Helie ibid. p. 14; 1580 helie ibid. p. 15; 1581 helie ibid. p. 16; 1582 Helie ibid. p. 45; 1585 Elie ibid. p. 19; 1588 Elie ibid. p. 21; 1589 Elie ibid. p. 48; 1590 Elie ibid. p. 49; 1592 Elie ibid. p. 50; 1593 Elie ibid. p. 50; 1594 Elie ibid. p. 105
Walloon
1582 Elias RWC p. 5; 1582/3 Elias ibid. p. 6; 1583/4 Elie ibid. p. 8; 1583 Helie ibid. p. 437; 1590 Elias ibid. p. 13, Elie ibid. p. 13; 1591/2 Elias ibid. p. 20; 1591 Elie ibid. p. 18, Helye ibid. p. 563; 1592 Elias ibid. p. 24, Elie ibid. p. 20; 1592/3 Elie ibid. p. 25; 1593/4 Elias ibid. p. 30; 1593 Elie ibid. p. 28; 1593/4 Elie ibid. p. 31; 1594 Elias ibid. p. 32
France
Latin
937x993 Helie (gen) CartSavII 1; 1047 Helie (gen) CartNDSaintes I; c1050 Helia (abl) StVdM-II 696; 1055 Hęlias (nom) ibid. 739; 1060 Helie (gen) CartNDSaintes XIX; 1067 Helie (gen) ibid. XII; 1067x1074 Helia (abl) ibid. XIII, Helias (nom) ibid. XIII, Helie (dat) ibid. XIII; 1067x1086 Helie (gen) ibid. XIV; 1079x1081 Helia (abl) ibid. XXI, Helias (nom) ibid. XXI; 1123 Helie (gen) CartYonne1 CXXXVI; 1131 Helia (abl) CartNDSaintes XXII, Helias (nom) ibid. XXIII, Helie (gen) ibid. XXIII; 1135 Helia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 7; 1143 Helias (nom) HAP p. 373; 1147 Helia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 17; 1164 Elia (abl) ibid. 121; 1229 Elias (nom) CDT1 VII; 1239 Helias (nom) ChronMaillezais p. 162; 1259 Helyas (nom) NDParisII 2-XLVI; 1273 Helia (abl) RegToul-13thC p. 40; 1310 Elyas (nom) GasReg-A p. 217; 1310/11 Helias (nom) ibid. p. 100; 1378 Helias (nom) hanquetvol1 837, Helie (gen) ibid. 575, Hellie (dat) ibid. 889
1378 Hellino (dat) hanquetvol1 1179
Old French
1296 Elye (obl) HistHdVParis p. 131, Elyes paris1296 p. 61; 1313 Elye Paris1313 p. 67, Helyes ibid. p. 42
1313 Elyot Paris1313 p. 10
Middle French
1358 Elye LeCoq p. 383; 1368 Heliés beauchet-vol1 p. 14; 1421 Helie favier 288; 1564 Hélie RegPCC-1 p. 88; 1565 Elye ibid. p. 120; 1566 Elie ibid. p. 267; 1587 Helye RTFProvins 206
1392 Eliot MemBret-II col. 615; 1418 Eliot DdB1418 p. 200, HGParis p. 376, Heliot DdB1418 p. 204, HGParis p. 380; 1421 Elyot favier p. 158, Helyot ibid. 513; 1438 Heliot ibid. 514
Germany
Latin
1173 Helijas (nom) quix-vol1 99; 1212 Elia (abl) quix-vol2 125; 1219 Helias (nom) hennes-vol1 41; 1226x1227 Helias (nom) UrkMeck1 no. XII; 1232 Helyas (nom) CDL-1.1.1 XII; 1238 Helyas (nom) UrkMeck1 no. XXI; 1249 Elyas (nom) hennes-vol1 131; 1259 Elias (nom) CDL-1.1.1 XXXI, Helyas (nom) ibid. XXXI; 1263 Helias (nom) hennes-vol1 199; 1264 Elya (abl) ibid. 200; 1278 Helias (nom) ibid. 264; 1282 Elia (abl) ibid. 282; 1283 Helyas (nom) ibid. 285; 1284 Elya (abl) ibid. 297
Hungary
Latin
1317 Eliae (gen) CDH-VIII-II IV
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Elias (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 6, Helias (nom) ibid. III, p. 23
Italy
Latin
1198 Elie (gen) ChStBo1 III, Helie (gen) ibid. III; 1213 Helias (nom) HAP p. 344
Scotland
Latin
a1199 Helya (abl) CartNBer 2; 1214–1226 Elia (abl) morton-vol1 1
Switzerland
Latin
1141 Helias (nom) CartHaut 3
Wales
Latin
1497 Elys (nom) ArchCambIII p. 66
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Elias". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2020, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2020/1/name/Elias.