Likely related to Elias or Eliyaz, from Hebrew roots meaning "my God is Yahweh."
Eliaz is a variant spelling of Elias, the Greco-Latin form of the Hebrew name Elijah — Eliyahu in its original form — meaning "my God is Yahweh" or "the Lord is my God." It is among the most theologically charged names in the Abrahamic tradition. The prophet Elijah is one of the towering figures of the Hebrew Bible: a thunderous voice for monotheistic faith during the reign of King Ahab, a worker of miracles, and uniquely among biblical figures, one who did not die but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11).
In Jewish tradition, Elijah is the herald of the Messiah, and a cup of wine is poured for him at every Passover Seder. Elias, the New Testament form, appears in the Gospels as the figure that John the Baptist is said to embody in spirit, connecting the prophetic tradition directly to early Christianity. The name passed into widespread use across the Byzantine Greek world, medieval Europe, and the Islamic tradition (where the prophet appears as Ilyas).
Notable bearers across history include Elias Lönnrot, the Finnish philologist who compiled the national epic Kalevala, and Elias Canetti, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist and essayist. In the Americas, the name has been particularly vibrant in Sephardic Jewish communities and throughout Latin America. The spelling Eliaz — with the terminal "z" — appears in some Sephardic Jewish traditions and in Ladino-influenced naming, where it lends the name a slightly different visual character from the more common Elias while retaining its full etymological depth. It is a name that carries the weight of prophecy and fire, yet remains accessible and warm — one that announces spiritual seriousness without sacrificing beauty.