Ephraim
Ephraim was the 988th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 231 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 407th; the most babies were born in 2017 (260). Over the last ten years it has moved down 63 places. More babies were named Ephraim in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning fruitful · Hebrew
Say it EE-free-um /ˈifriəm/
- Rank in 2025
- #988 boys, up 17 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 231boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2017260 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,236babies recorded
What does the name Ephraim mean?
Ephraim is the Hebrew Efrayim (אֶפְרַיִם), the younger son of Joseph and ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel. In Genesis 41:52 Joseph explains the name by saying that God has made him fruitful in the land of his affliction, a play on the Hebrew verb for bearing fruit. DMNES glosses it 'fruitful; doubled fruit', and Wiktionary gives 'fruitful'. DMNES records it in 16th-century England and Finland.
אֶפְרַיִם (Biblical Hebrew, “fruitful”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Efrayim, Efraín, Efrem.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ephraim', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'אפרים' (Hebrew section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 41:52, Hebrew text with JPS translation (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ephraim', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Ephraim
The usual nicknames for Ephraim are Eph.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eph | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ephraims go by each one.
Ephraim popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #988 | 231 |
| 2020 | #1,005 | 210 |
| 2010 | #1,061 | 181 |
| 2000 | #1,354 | 94 |
| 1990 | #1,491 | 58 |
| 1980 | #1,299 | 52 |
| 1970 | #1,340 | 39 |
| 1960 | #1,369 | 34 |
| 1950 | #1,762 | 18 |
| 1940 | #1,831 | 15 |
| 1930 | #1,346 | 29 |
| 1920 | #1,213 | 36 |
| 1910 | #1,466 | 6 |
| 1900 | #988 | 8 |
| 1890 | #611 | 11 |
| 1880 | #407 | 18 |
How popular is Ephraim, counting every spelling?
Ephraim is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #828 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #988 for Ephraim on its own. Together these spellings went to 282 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephraim | 231 | #988 | 1,118 |
| Efraim | 51 | #2,579 | 301 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ephraim?
231 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ephraim (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ephraim 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 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ephraim.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ephraim?
About 6,800 people born in the US named Ephraim are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 32. That makes Ephraim 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.
Ephraim by state
How common Ephraim was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Idaho (5.1×), Utah (4.7×), New Jersey (2.6×), Pennsylvania (2.1×), New York (1.7×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ephraim: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ephraim, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ephraim · Sibling names for Ephraim
Questions about the name Ephraim
What does Ephraim mean?
Ephraim means “fruitful” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ephraim?
Ephraim was the 988th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 231 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 407th; the most babies were born in 2017 (260). Over the last ten years it has moved down 63 places. More babies were named Ephraim in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ephraim a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ephraim in the US.
Where is Ephraim most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ephraim was most common in Idaho (0.66 per 1,000 boys), followed by Utah and New Jersey.