Jorah first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jorah has been for the last 24 years (from 2000 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jorah

A Quranic name meaning "heavy rainstorm" or "flow of water".

Popularity of Jorah by gender

Based on the last 24 years of data, Jorah is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 76% of people named Jorah being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 19 male babies and 9 female babies born with the name Jorah.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 19 9
2022 25 6
2021 30 7
2020 35 5
2019 35 7
2018 30 0
2017 22 0
2016 11 0
2015 13 0
2014 7 0
2008 0 7
2007 0 8
2006 0 7
2004 0 7
2000 0 7

The history of the first name Jorah

The name Jorah is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, derived from the word "yarah," meaning "to throw" or "to shoot." This suggests that the name may have initially held connotations related to archery or warfare.

In ancient Hebrew texts, Jorah is mentioned as a minor figure in the Book of Chronicles, where it is recorded as the name of a gatekeeper at the temple in Jerusalem during the reign of King David. This reference dates back to around 1000 BCE, providing one of the earliest known examples of the name's usage.

As the name spread across the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Jorai, Jorai, and Jurai, reflecting the linguistic influences of different cultures and languages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Jorah was Jorah ben Eleazar, a renowned Jewish scholar who lived in Tiberias, Palestine, during the 3rd century CE. He was a prominent figure in the development of the Jerusalem Talmud, a foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism.

In the medieval period, the name Jorah gained popularity among the Islamic world, particularly in Persia (modern-day Iran) and Central Asia. During this time, Jorah al-Qazwini, a Persian historian and geographer, made significant contributions to the fields of geography and travel literature in the 13th century.

Centuries later, in the 16th century, Jorah ibn Murad was a notable Ottoman statesman and military commander who served as the governor of several provinces within the Ottoman Empire, including Damascus and Aleppo.

Moving forward in history, Jorah Malik Khan was a prominent Afghan leader and military strategist who played a crucial role in the Afghan resistance against the British Empire during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 19th century.

Another notable figure bearing the name Jorah was Jorah Ghanimah, an Iraqi poet and scholar who lived in the 20th century. He was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and his advocacy for cultural preservation and education in Iraq.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jorah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jorah, please contact us.

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"Jorah first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 30, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jorah-meaning-and-history/.

"Jorah first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jorah-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 30 April, 2025

Jorah first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/jorah-meaning-and-history/.

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