The name Elad means "God has testified" or "God has adorned," combining El (God) with ad (perpetual witness, ornament). It appears once in 1 Chronicles 7:21 as a descendant of Ephraim who was killed by men of Gath during a raid on their livestock.
The brief account of Elad's death illustrates the cost of venturing out prematurely, before God's appointed time. His father Ephraim "mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him" (1 Chronicles 7:22). The name "God has testified" points to a broader truth: even in death, God's purposes are not defeated. Every fallen warrior is known by name to God, whose testimony over human lives is eternal.