Ahijah, a rare and unique name of Hebrew origin, is derived from the root word 'chayah', which means 'to live'. It appears twice in the Old Testament of the Bible. Firstly, as the name of a son of Shimron, one of the heads of the tribe of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7:3). Secondly, and more famously, it is the name given to a prophet during the reign of King Rehoboam of Judah in the 10th century BCE. This Ahijah, blind since birth but endowed with prophetic visions, played a significant role in the succession dispute following Rehoboam's ascension to the throne (1 Kings 14:2-3). The name Ahijah thus carries historical and spiritual significance within the context of biblical history.
The name Ahijah saw a steady increase in popularity between 1999 and 2002, with a peak of 10 births in 2002. After that, the number of births decreased and fluctuated, ranging from 5 to 8 per year until 2009. There were no recorded births with this name between 2010 and 2022, but it resurfaced in 2023 with 8 births. Overall, there have been a total of 80 births with the name Ahijah from 1999 to 2023.