Jeresiah
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God shall exalt".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Jeresiah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jeresiah today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jeresiah births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jeresiah. 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 Jeresiah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2021 SSA rank
#12,979
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Jeresiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jeresiah from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 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
Jeresiah 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 Jeresiah 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 Jeresiah
The given name Jeresiah is an intriguing one, steeped in a rich tapestry of history and cultural significance. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages, where it is believed to have derived from a combination of the Hebrew root "yara" (meaning "to throw" or "to shoot") and the name "Isiah" (a variant of the biblical name Isaiah, meaning "salvation of God").
This unique amalgamation of roots suggests that Jeresiah may have been borne by individuals who were skilled archers or warriors, or perhaps those who sought divine protection and guidance. The name's earliest recorded usage dates back to the 6th century BCE, appearing in several ancient Hebrew texts and scrolls discovered in the region now known as modern-day Israel and Palestine.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Jeresiah was a prominent scribe and scholar who lived during the reign of King Josiah in the ancient Kingdom of Judah (circa 640-609 BCE). His meticulous record-keeping and dedication to preserving historical accounts earned him a reputation as a learned and respected figure in his time.
In the centuries that followed, the name Jeresiah continued to resonate within various religious and cultural contexts. During the Byzantine era (4th to 15th centuries), a notable monk named Jeresiah of Antioch (born circa 520 CE) gained renown for his unwavering faith and commitment to charitable works. His life and teachings were chronicled in several hagiographies, further solidifying the name's association with piety and virtue.
The High Middle Ages witnessed the rise of Jeresiah ibn al-Khazari (1075-1149), a renowned philosopher and physician from the Golden Age of Islamic culture. His groundbreaking contributions to the fields of medicine and natural sciences earned him widespread acclaim, and his writings continue to be studied and revered by scholars to this day.
In the Renaissance era, the name Jeresiah was borne by a notable Italian artist and sculptor, Jeresiah Benvenuti (1436-1512), whose masterful works adorned churches and public spaces throughout Florence and Rome. His exceptional talent and dedication to his craft earned him commissions from influential patrons, solidifying his place in the annals of art history.
As the centuries progressed, the name Jeresiah continued to resonate across various cultures and regions. One notable figure was Jeresiah Kutuzov (1745-1813), a revered Russian military leader and strategist who played a pivotal role in the Napoleonic Wars, earning him a place among the most celebrated military minds in history.
These are but a few examples of the rich tapestry woven by individuals who bore the name Jeresiah throughout the ages, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and contributing to the multifaceted legacy of this unique and fascinating name.
People
Jeresiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jeresiah 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
Jeresiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jeresiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jeresiah 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Jeresiah a common name?
We classify Jeresiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jeresiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Jeresiah was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jeresiah is about 8 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 Jeresiah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jeresiah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jeresiah 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 Jeresiah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jeresiah 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 Jeresiah 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 share the name Jeresiah?
You can see how many people share the name Jeresiah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.