Mordecai
Mordecai was the 2100th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 70 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1716th with 99 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 219 places. More babies were named Mordecai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Mordechai) Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Akkadian
- Rank in 2025
- #2,100 boys, down 305 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 70boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202299 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,650babies recorded
What does the name Mordecai mean?
Mordecai is a spelling of Mordechai, pronounced the same way, so it shares Mordechai's meaning and origin.
Mordechai is the Hebrew form of Mordecai, the cousin and guardian of Esther in the biblical Book of Esther, where he is introduced at Esther 2:5. The name is generally connected with Marduk, the chief god of Babylon: DMNES calls its origin uncertain but related to Marduk, and Wiktionary calls the Marduk link one prominent hypothesis among many. Mordechai is central to the story told at the festival of Purim.
מָרְדֳּכַי (Biblical Hebrew, “Mordecai”)Marduk (Akkadian, “chief god of Babylon”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Probably linked to Marduk, but the derivation is not settled.
Related names: Mordecai, Motti, Mordy.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mordecai', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'מרדכי' (Hebrew section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mordecai', DMNES, Durham University
- Hebrew Bible, Esther 2:5, Hebrew text with JPS translation (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Mordecai popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,100 | 70 |
| 2020 | #1,795 | 84 |
| 2010 | #4,634 | 21 |
| 2000 | #6,680 | 10 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #5,998 | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | #2,500 | 12 |
| 1950 | #3,232 | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #3,876 | 6 |
| 1920 | #4,755 | 5 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mordecai, counting every spelling?
Mordecai is a spelling of Mordechai, a name family that ranked #786 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,100 for Mordecai on its own. Together these spellings went to 308 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mordechai | 238 | #967 | 1,181 |
| Mordecai | 70 | #2,100 | 394 |
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 Mordecai?
70 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mordecai (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Mordecai 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 120 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mordecai.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mordecai?
About 1,400 people born in the US named Mordecai are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 21. That makes Mordecai 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.
Mordecai by state
How common Mordecai was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 43 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 Mordecai: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mordecai, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Mordecai
What does Mordecai mean?
The origin of Mordechai is uncertain: Probably linked to Marduk, but the derivation is not settled.
How popular is the name Mordecai?
Mordecai was the 2100th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 70 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1716th with 99 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 219 places. More babies were named Mordecai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mordecai a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Mordecai in the US.
Where is Mordecai most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mordecai was most common in Ohio (0.05 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Florida.