Jediah
Jedidiah is a male name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved of the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 862 living Americans carry the first name Jediah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jediah today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jediah births was 2017 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jediah. 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.
People living today
862
~ 1 in 397,627 Americans
Peak year
2017
52 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,239
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Jediah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jediah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 357 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jediah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jediah 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 Jediah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jediahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Jediah, while Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jediah
The given name Jediah has its origins rooted in the Hebrew language. It is a variant spelling of the biblical name Jedidiah, which translates to "beloved of Yahweh" or "beloved of God." The name can be traced back to ancient Hebrew scriptures, specifically in the Old Testament.
The name Jedidiah first appeared in the Bible, where it was given to King Solomon by the prophet Nathan, as a symbolic name from God. This event is recorded in the Second Book of Samuel (12:25). The name Jedidiah was bestowed upon Solomon as a sign of God's favor and love for him.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jediah can be found in historical records and documents from the 17th century. One notable individual who bore this name was Jediah Morse (1761-1826), an American minister, geographer, and author, known for his influential works on geography and his efforts in promoting education.
Another prominent figure named Jediah was Jediah Hinkley (1753-1811), an American politician and judge from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and as a judge on the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas.
In the 19th century, Jediah Huntington (1743-1818) was a prominent American soldier and politician. He served as a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War and later as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another historical figure with the name Jediah was Jediah Prescott (1720-1778), an American physician and patriot during the American Revolutionary War. He was known for his contributions to the medical field and his service as a military surgeon.
Jediah Chaplin (1677-1745) was an English minister and educator who served as the rector of Staveley, Derbyshire, and as the headmaster of the prestigious Doncaster Grammar School in Yorkshire.
While the name Jediah has biblical roots and historical references, it has remained a relatively uncommon name throughout history. However, its unique and meaningful origin from the Hebrew language and its connection to the biblical figure of King Solomon have contributed to its enduring presence and usage over the centuries.
People
Jediah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jediah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jediah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jediah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 862 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jediah 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 397,627 US residents.
Is Jediah a common name?
We classify Jediah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 874 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jediah most popular?
The single biggest year for Jediah was 2017, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jediah is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jediah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jediah 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.
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.