Nehimiah
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "comforted by the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Nehimiah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nehimiah today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nehimiah births was 2010 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nehimiah. 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 Nehimiah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2010
7 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2010 SSA rank
#10,426
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Nehimiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nehimiah from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 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
Nehimiah 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 Nehimiah 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 Nehimiah
The name Nehemiah has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew phrase "Nekhemyah," which translates to "comforted by Yahweh" or "Yahweh has comforted." The name is rooted in the concept of finding solace and strength in the divine presence of the God of Israel.
One of the earliest and most notable historical references to the name Nehemiah is found in the Biblical book bearing the same name. Nehemiah was a Jewish man who served as the governor of Judah during the 5th century BCE. He played a pivotal role in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and restoring the city's fortifications after the Babylonian exile.
The book of Nehemiah, which forms part of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, chronicles his efforts in leading the reconstruction project and implementing religious reforms among the Jewish people. His dedication and leadership made him a significant figure in the post-exilic period of Jewish history.
Throughout the centuries, the name Nehemiah has been borne by various notable individuals. For instance, Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) was an English botanist and plant anatomist, known for his pioneering work in the study of plant anatomy and the invention of the microscope. Another prominent figure was Nehemiah Wallington (1598-1658), an English Puritan woodturner and prolific writer whose journals and memoirs provide valuable insights into the religious and political climate of 17th century England.
In the realm of literature, Nehemiah Higginson (1654-1708) was an American Puritan minister and author from Massachusetts. He is most renowned for his controversial work, "An Attestation of Divine Mysteries," which sparked debates on the nature of religious belief and authority.
The name Nehemiah also holds significance in religious history. Nehemiah Tate (1652-1715) was an Irish poet and hymnist who collaborated with Nicholas Brady to produce the popular metrical version of the Psalms, known as the "New Version," which was widely used in English churches and congregations.
While these examples span different eras and fields, they all share the common thread of bearing the name Nehemiah, which has endured through time, serving as a testament to its rich historical and cultural significance.
People
Nehimiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nehimiah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nehimiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nehimiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nehimiah 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Nehimiah a common name?
We classify Nehimiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nehimiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nehimiah was 2010, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nehimiah is about 17 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 Nehimiah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nehimiah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nehimiah 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 Nehimiah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nehimiah 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 Nehimiah 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 common is the name Nehimiah?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Nehimiah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.