Jedidiah
Jedidiah was the 876th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 274 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 627th; the most babies were born in 2017 (362). Over the last ten years it has moved down 157 places. More babies were named Jedidiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning beloved of YHWH · Hebrew
Say it jed-ih-DY-uh /ˌdʒɛdɪˈdaɪə/
- Rank in 2025
- #876 boys, down 153 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 274boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2017362 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,361babies recorded
What does the name Jedidiah mean?
Jedidiah is the Hebrew Yedidyah, 'beloved of YHWH', from yadid 'beloved, friend' and Yah, a short form of the divine name. In 2 Samuel 12:25 the prophet Nathan gives this name to the infant Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba. Wiktionary notes it has been rare as a given name; it was used by English Puritans and in early America, and is often shortened to Jed.
יְדִידְיָה (Yedidyah) (Biblical Hebrew, “beloved of YHWH”)יָדִיד (yadid) (Hebrew, “beloved, friend”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Jed, Jedediah, Solomon.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jedidiah', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Hebrew Bible, 2 Samuel 12:25 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
Nicknames for Jedidiah
The usual nicknames for Jedidiah are Jed. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Jedidiah in the last five years, 27 were named Jed, against 59 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jed | Traditional | #1,999 | 400 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jedidiahs go by each one.
Jedidiah popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 45 since 1998, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #876 | 274 |
| 2020 | #723 | 344 |
| 2010 | #873 | 241 |
| 2000 | #1,147 | 121 |
| 1990 | #972 | 116 |
| 1980 | #639 | 185 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jedidiah, counting every spelling?
Jedidiah has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #842 for boys in 2025, against #876 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Jedidiah?
274 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jedidiah (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jedidiah 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 31 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jedidiah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jedidiah?
About 9,100 people born in the US named Jedidiah are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 32. That makes Jedidiah 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.
Jedidiah by state
How common Jedidiah was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oklahoma (1.8×), Virginia (1.6×), Kentucky (1.5×), Washington (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, Louisiana, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jedidiah: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jedidiah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jedidiah · Sibling names for Jedidiah
Questions about the name Jedidiah
What does Jedidiah mean?
Jedidiah means “beloved of YHWH” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jedidiah?
Jedidiah was the 876th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 274 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 627th; the most babies were born in 2017 (362). Over the last ten years it has moved down 157 places. More babies were named Jedidiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jedidiah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jedidiah in the US.
Where is Jedidiah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jedidiah was most common in Hawaii (0.77 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and Idaho.