Ezra
Ezra was the 20th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,126 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 13th with 8,822 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 73 places. More babies were named Ezra in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning help · Hebrew
Say it EZ-ruh /ˈɛzrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #20 boys, up 24 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,126boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20248,822 babies
- Total since 1880
- 111,768babies recorded
What does the name Ezra mean?
Ezra is the name of the Jewish priest and scribe of the 5th century BC whose story is told in the Book of Ezra. The name comes from a Hebrew root meaning 'help'. Wikipedia suggests it may be a short form of Azaryahu, 'Yahweh helps'. The Greek and Latin form is Esdras. In the US it climbed steadily from about 2000.
עֶזְרָא (Biblical Hebrew, “ʿEzra”)ע־ז־ר (Hebrew, “root 'help'”)
How sure is this? Probable.
See also: Hebrew names.
Nicknames for Ezra
The usual nicknames for Ezra are Ez.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ez | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ezras go by each one.
Ezra popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5,007 since 1915, 327 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #20 | 8,126 |
| 2020 | #44 | 6,831 |
| 2010 | #241 | 1,449 |
| 2000 | #430 | 566 |
| 1990 | #760 | 179 |
| 1980 | #670 | 167 |
| 1970 | #961 | 70 |
| 1960 | #968 | 62 |
| 1950 | #788 | 75 |
| 1940 | #804 | 60 |
| 1930 | #573 | 109 |
| 1920 | #512 | 142 |
| 1910 | #416 | 42 |
| 1900 | #331 | 42 |
| 1890 | #263 | 43 |
| 1880 | #270 | 39 |
How popular is Ezra, counting every spelling?
Ezra is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #21 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #20 for Ezra on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,385 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ezra | 8,126 | #20 | 40,897 |
| Ezrah | 259 | #914 | 1,357 |
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 Ezra?
8,126 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ezra (2.25 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ezra born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 24. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Ezra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ezra?
About 100,800 people born in the US named Ezra are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 3 and 12. That makes Ezra a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Ezra by state
How common Ezra was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (2.4×), Wyoming (2.3×), Hawaii (2.3×), Alaska (2.1×), New Mexico (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, New Jersey, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ezra: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ezra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ezra · Sibling names for Ezra
Questions about the name Ezra
What does Ezra mean?
Ezra means “help” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ezra?
Ezra was the 20th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,126 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 13th with 8,822 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 73 places. More babies were named Ezra in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ezra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ezra in the US.
Where is Ezra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ezra was most common in Vermont (11.31 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Hawaii.