Liverpool attacker Jota and his brother Andre Silva, also a pro player, lost their lives over the summer in a car accident in Spain.
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Elanga didn't know Jota personally, but wanted to pay tribute to the Portuguese.
"It's sad. A fantastic footballer. A fantastic person too, I've heard. It was a sad day for football," Elanga tells Expressen.
"I saw that the number was free. I thought of Diogo Jota too. The number is of course even more meaningful considering what happened to him."
Elanga joined Newcastle over the summer from Nottingham Forest and also said: "I would like to do a good job with the number this season, hopefully make him proud too."