Effrem
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "fertile" or "extremely fruitful".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Effrem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Effrem today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Effrem births was 1959 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Effrem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Effrem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1959
9 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1974 SSA rank
#5,449
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Effrem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Effrem from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Effrem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Effrem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Effrem
The given name Effrem has its roots in the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. It is believed to be derived from the word "ephrem," meaning "fruitful" or "fertile." This name was particularly popular among early Christian communities in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Effrem was a Syrian deacon and theologian known as Saint Ephrem the Syrian, who lived from around 306 to 373 AD. He is revered as one of the most influential figures in the Syriac Christian tradition and is renowned for his extensive writings and hymns.
Another notable bearer of the name was Ephraim of Antioch, a 6th-century Syrian bishop and writer who played a significant role in the theological debates of his time. He was a staunch defender of the Chalcedonian theological position and is remembered for his contributions to the development of Christian doctrine.
In the 7th century, Ephraim, the son of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, held the title of Caesar and was designated as his father's co-emperor. However, he predeceased his father and never ascended to the throne.
Moving forward in history, Ephraim of Amida was a renowned Syrian scholar and writer who lived in the 9th century. He is particularly known for his extensive commentary on the Bible and his contributions to the field of exegesis.
In the 12th century, Ephraim of Khitrovo was a prominent Russian monk and iconographer. He is credited with introducing the Novgorod School of icon painting, which had a significant influence on the development of Russian iconography.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Effrem or its variant spellings. The name's rich history and associations with influential figures in religious, scholarly, and political spheres have contributed to its enduring popularity across different cultures and time periods.
People
Effrem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Effrem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Effrem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Effrem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Effrem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Effrem a common name?
We classify Effrem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Effrem most popular?
The single biggest year for Effrem was 1959, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Effrem is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Effrem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Effrem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Effrem in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Effrem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Effrem in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Effrem can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Effrem?
Want to know how many people have the name Effrem? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.