Zebediah
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "gift of Jehovah" or "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 591 living Americans carry the first name Zebediah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zebediah today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zebediah births was 2007 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zebediah. 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
591
~ 1 in 579,957 Americans
Peak year
2007
26 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,873
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Zebediah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zebediah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 172 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Zebediah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zebediah 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 Zebediah 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 Zebediah
The name Zebediah is derived from the Hebrew name Zebadyah, which means "gift of God" or "dowry of God." It has its roots in ancient Semitic languages and the Biblical tradition.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zebediah can be traced back to the New Testament of the Bible. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, Zebedee is mentioned as the father of the apostles James and John, who were among the first disciples of Jesus Christ.
During the Middle Ages, the name Zebediah was relatively uncommon in most parts of Europe. However, it gained popularity among certain Protestant Christian groups, particularly in England and Scotland, where it was seen as a pious and virtuous name with strong Biblical connections.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zebediah was Zebediah Crofton (c. 1626-1672), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the 17th century. Another notable figure was Zebediah Turvill (1656-1734), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Calne in the early 18th century.
In the American colonies, the name Zebediah was used by some Puritan families, reflecting their strong religious beliefs and desire to honor Biblical figures. Zebediah Wyman (1658-1718) was a prominent early settler in Massachusetts and served as a military officer during King William's War.
During the 19th century, the name Zebediah gained some popularity in various parts of the English-speaking world. Zebediah Colby (1804-1889) was an American explorer and surveyor who helped map the American West. Zebediah Killgrave (1836-1904) was a Scottish-born American politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina.
Another notable figure with the name was Zebediah Peck (1819-1895), an American businessman and politician who was involved in the early development of the petroleum industry in Pennsylvania. His son, Zebediah Peck Jr. (1857-1923), also carried on the family name and worked in the oil industry.
While the name Zebediah has become less common in more recent times, it has left an enduring legacy as a unique and deeply meaningful name with strong ties to religious and historical traditions.
People
Zebediah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zebediah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zebediah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zebediah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 591 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zebediah 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 579,957 US residents.
Is Zebediah a common name?
We classify Zebediah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 602 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zebediah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zebediah was 2007, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zebediah is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zebediah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zebediah 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.
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.