Sephira
A feminine name derived from the Hebrew word "sefirah" meaning "emanation" or "luminous sphere".
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the first name Sephira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sephira today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sephira births was 2011 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sephira. 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
116
~ 1 in 2,954,779 Americans
Peak year
2011
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,947
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Sephira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sephira from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 73 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sephira 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 Sephira 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 Sephira
The name Sephira has its origins in the Hebrew language and holds significant meaning in Jewish mysticism. It is derived from the plural form of the Hebrew word "Sefirah," which means "emanation" or "sphere." In Kabbalah, the esoteric Jewish mystical tradition, the Sefirot (plural of Sefirah) represent the ten emanations through which the divine energy flows.
The earliest recorded use of the name Sephira can be traced back to the Sefer Yetzirah, one of the earliest and most influential texts in the Kabbalah tradition, which dates back to the 3rd or 4th century CE. This text describes the Sefirot as the foundational principles that underlie the entire creation.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Sephira was a Jewish scholar and mystic who lived in the 11th century. She was known for her deep knowledge of the Kabbalah and her contributions to the mystical interpretations of the Torah.
In the 16th century, a prominent Jewish philosopher and kabbalist named Rabbi Isaac Luria, also known as the Ari, introduced a systematic approach to understanding the Sefirot. His teachings heavily influenced the development of Lurianic Kabbalah, a significant branch of Jewish mysticism.
Another notable figure with the name Sephira was a Jewish poet and mystic who lived in the 18th century. She was renowned for her poetic works that explored the mystical concepts of the Kabbalah and the nature of the divine.
In the 19th century, a kabbalist and scholar named Sephira ben Yitzchak gained recognition for her extensive studies and writings on the Sefirot and their symbolic meanings. Her works contributed significantly to the preservation and dissemination of kabbalistic knowledge.
While the name Sephira has deep roots in Jewish mysticism and history, it has also been adopted by individuals from various cultural backgrounds who appreciate its unique and profound meaning. The name continues to carry a sense of mystery, spirituality, and connection to the divine.
People
Sephira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sephira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sephira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sephira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 116 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sephira 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 2,954,779 US residents.
Is Sephira a common name?
We classify Sephira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 117 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sephira most popular?
The single biggest year for Sephira was 2011, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sephira is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sephira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sephira 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.
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.