Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Elian

Elián is a Spanish name imported from Cuba. The name was brought to the attention of American parents thanks to a 1999/2000 news story surrounding a young Cuban boy by the name of Elián González. The boy’s name was actually the combination of his parent’s names, Elizabeth and Juan (Eli + an). At the age of five, Elián González was taken by his mother and, along with ten others, boarded an ill-equipped boat for the trip from Cuba to Florida (Elizabeth was fleeing the harsh economic conditions of the Cuban Castro regime and hoped for a better life in the United States). During the trip, which was stormy, the boat filled with water and sank. Now motherless, Elián was one of the three survivors rescued by Florida fisherman on Thanksgiving Day in 1999. Taken in by extended family living in Miami, Elián became the center of an international media storm. The boy’s Cuban father, Juan, demanded his son be returned to him in Cuba. The boy’s U.S. family demanded that he remain in the states. The young, innocent now six year old found himself in the middle of a tug-of-war contest and an unwitting symbol of U.S.-Cuban relations. Five months after arriving in America, Elián González was sent back to his father in Cuba (with the full support of the United States government). Please see the Elizabeth and Juan name pages for more detail on the etymology of these names.

All About the Baby Name – Elian

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ELIAN

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ELIAN

If you were alive in late 1999 and early 2000 then you certainly remember the news coverage surrounding Elián González. A darling boy of five (on the edge of six), innocent, courageous and suddenly motherless, it was impossible not to fall in love with him on the spot. It was certainly not his fault that he became the poster boy of tenuous U.S.-Cuban relations. He was merely a guiltless victim of a horrible tragedy. We were therefore not surprised to find the name Elián first appear on the U.S. naming charts in 2000. The name debuted at a remarkably high position, too. The name’s popularity would be short-lived, however. As short as the American attention span apparently. The name saw its most usage during the year 2000 when the brouhaha was in full force. Since then, the name has dropped down to the bottom of the Top 1000 list which means it’s quite rare today. We like the creative combination of parental names, though. Elizabeth and Juan. Pretty clever.

Quick Facts

ON ELIAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Spanish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

744

PRONUNCIATION:

E-lee-әn

SIMPLE MEANING:

Combination of Elizabeth and Juan

Characteristics

OF ELIAN

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Elian

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ELIAN

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ELIAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Elian


Popular Songs

ON ELIAN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Elian


Famous People

NAMED ELIAN

We cannot find any famous people with the first name Elian.

Children of Famous People

NAMED ELIAN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Elian

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ELIAN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Elian