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

Popularity of Urijah by gender

Based on the last 24 years of data, Urijah is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 98% of people named Urijah being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 54 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Urijah.

The history of the first name Urijah

The name Urijah is derived from the Hebrew name Uriyah, which means "the Lord is my light" or "flame of the Lord." This name has its origins in ancient Israel and the Middle Eastern region during biblical times.

The earliest recorded example of the name Urijah is found in the Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a priest during the reign of King Ahaz in Judah, around the 8th century BCE. The book of Isaiah in the Old Testament refers to this Urijah the priest.

Another notable figure named Urijah in the Bible was a prophet from Kirjath-Jearim, mentioned in the book of Jeremiah. He was executed by King Jehoiakim of Judah for prophesying against the kingdom, around the 7th century BCE.

In the Apocryphal book of 2 Esdras, there is a reference to an Urijah who was one of the principal men who returned from the Babylonian captivity with Ezra the scribe, in the 5th century BCE.

Moving on to later historical records, Urijah was the name of a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 11th century CE in Kairouan, Tunisia. He was known for his work on Hebrew grammar and his commentary on the Bible.

Another notable bearer of the name Urijah was a 17th-century English Puritan minister, Urijah Oakes, who served as the president of Harvard College from 1675 to 1681.

In more recent times, Urijah Faber was an American mixed martial artist and former WEC Featherweight Champion, born in 1979. He is considered one of the pioneers of the lighter weight classes in mixed martial arts.

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 Urijah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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