Emunah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "faith" or "belief".
Name Census estimates that about 342 living Americans carry the first name Emunah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Emunah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Emunah births was 2023 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Emunah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Emunah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
342
~ 1 in 1,002,206 Americans
Peak year
2023
40 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,577
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Emunah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Emunah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 151 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
Emunah 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 Emunah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Emunahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Emunah, while New Jersey, California, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Emunah
The name Emunah is of Hebrew origin and can be traced back to ancient times. It derives from the Hebrew word "emunah," which means "faith" or "belief." This name was likely given to children as a symbolic representation of their parents' faith and religious devotion.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Emunah can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Psalms. In Psalm 119:66, the verse reads: "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in (emunah) Your commandments." This verse highlights the connection between the name and the concept of faith in God's teachings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Emunah. One such person was Emunah Nahon (1568-1637), a Jewish poet and scholar from Ferrara, Italy. She was known for her religious poetry and her contributions to the study of the Talmud.
Another prominent figure was Emunah Razia Nahon (1577-1654), a Jewish scholar and author from Ferrara, Italy. She wrote numerous works on Jewish law and philosophy, including a commentary on the Torah.
In the early 20th century, Emunah Shalev (1900-1985) was an Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. She served as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and was active in the labor movement and women's rights.
Emunah Merhavia (1908-1994) was an Israeli painter and sculptor known for her abstract and symbolic works. Her art often reflected her deep connection to the land of Israel and her Jewish identity.
Additionally, Emunah Habibi (1930-2012) was a renowned Israeli writer and poet. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, she immigrated to Israel and wrote extensively about the experiences of Mizrahi Jews (Jews from Arab countries). Her works explored themes of identity, displacement, and cultural belonging.
While these are just a few examples, the name Emunah has been carried by many individuals throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and cultures, and embodying the essence of faith and belief represented by this ancient Hebrew name.
People
Emunah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Emunah 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
Emunah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Emunah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 342 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Emunah 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 1,002,206 US residents.
Is Emunah a common name?
We classify Emunah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 344 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Emunah most popular?
The single biggest year for Emunah was 2023, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Emunah is about 9 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 Emunah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Emunah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Emunah in the SSA data are female. 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 Emunah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Emunah 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 Emunah 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 Emunah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.