Abraham
Abraham was the 209th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,664 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 124th; the most babies were born in 2016 (2,584). Over the last ten years it has moved down 39 places. More babies were named Abraham in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning father of a multitude · Hebrew
Say it AY-bruh-ham /ˈeɪbrəhæm/
- Rank in 2025
- #209 boys, down 8 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,664boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20162,584 babies
- Total since 1880
- 104,175babies recorded
What does the name Abraham mean?
Abraham is the Hebrew patriarch whom Jews, Christians and Muslims regard as their founding ancestor. Genesis 17:5 says God changed his name from Abram, usually read 'exalted father', to Abraham, explained as 'father of a multitude of nations'; DMNES gives that gloss. Wiktionary notes that this is a biblical explanation and that scholars think the original meaning was forgotten, perhaps simply 'the father is exalted'. Abe and Bram are short forms, and Ibrahim is the Arabic form.
אַבְרָהָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Avraham”)אַבְרָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Avram, exalted father”)אָב (Biblical Hebrew, “father”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Father of a multitude' is the Genesis explanation; the original sense may have been 'the father is exalted'.
Related names: Abe, Abram, Avraham, Ibrahim, Bram.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Abraham', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 17:5, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Abraham', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Abraham (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Abraham
The usual nicknames for Abraham are Abe and Bram. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Abraham in the last five years, 3 were named Abe, against 2 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abe · also for Abel, Abram | Traditional | #2,207 | 303 |
| Bram · also for Abram | Traditional | #2,422 | 212 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Abrahams go by each one.
Abraham popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 208 since 1971.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #209 | 1,664 |
| 2020 | #201 | 1,900 |
| 2010 | #194 | 1,925 |
| 2000 | #213 | 1,686 |
| 1990 | #244 | 1,135 |
| 1980 | #273 | 779 |
| 1970 | #433 | 353 |
| 1960 | #464 | 294 |
| 1950 | #387 | 300 |
| 1940 | #385 | 219 |
| 1930 | #306 | 345 |
| 1920 | #203 | 656 |
| 1910 | #162 | 191 |
| 1900 | #195 | 100 |
| 1890 | #192 | 70 |
| 1880 | #163 | 81 |
How popular is Abraham, counting every spelling?
Abraham has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #229 for boys in 2025, against #209 on the official list, because Kayson/Kaison/Kaysen and Cohen/Kohen/Kohyn and Eric/Erick/Erik move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Abraham?
1,664 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Abraham (0.46 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Abraham born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Abraham.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Abraham?
About 83,000 people born in the US named Abraham are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 11 and 34. That makes Abraham mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Abraham by state
How common Abraham was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (3.0×), New Mexico (2.1×), Arizona (1.6×), New Jersey (1.6×), California (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Maine, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Abraham: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Abraham, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Abraham · Sibling names for Abraham
Questions about the name Abraham
What does Abraham mean?
Abraham means “father of a multitude” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Abraham?
Abraham was the 209th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,664 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 124th; the most babies were born in 2016 (2,584). Over the last ten years it has moved down 39 places. More babies were named Abraham in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Abraham a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Abraham in the US.
Where is Abraham most popular?
In 2021–2025, Abraham was most common in New York (3.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Arizona.