Meaning & Origin
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Elias or Elijah
Ilija is a boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, the South Slavic form of Elijah, from the Hebrew Eliyahu, composed of El (God) and Yahu (Yahweh), meaning 'my God is Yahweh' or 'the Lord is my God.'
With over 170 recorded births, Ilija is the specifically Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Bulgarian form of Elijah — unmistakably South Slavic in its spelling. The prophet Elijah (Ilija in the Slavic tradition) is one of the most dramatic figures in the Hebrew Bible — who called fire from heaven to defeat the prophets of Baal, and who did not die but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. In Orthodox Christian tradition, St. Ilija's Day (July 20) is a major feast day celebrated with particular fervor across the Balkans.