Mordechai
Mordechai was the 967th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 238 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 750th with 315 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 137 places. More babies were named Mordechai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Akkadian
Say it MOR-duh-ky /ˈmɔrdəkaɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #967 boys, down 90 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 238boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2018315 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,821babies recorded
What does the name Mordechai mean?
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.
Pronunciation: In Hebrew the ch is throaty, as in Scottish loch.
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
Nicknames for Mordechai
The usual nicknames for Mordechai are Motti and Mordy.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motti · Hebrew/Yiddish pet form | Traditional | — | — |
| Mordy | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Mordechais go by each one.
Mordechai popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #967 | 238 |
| 2020 | #877 | 258 |
| 2010 | #1,147 | 162 |
| 2000 | #1,184 | 116 |
| 1990 | #1,430 | 62 |
| 1980 | #1,717 | 34 |
| 1970 | #1,971 | 21 |
| 1960 | #2,805 | 10 |
| 1950 | #2,950 | 8 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mordechai, counting every spelling?
Mordechai is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #786 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #967 for Mordechai 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 Mordechai?
238 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mordechai (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Mordechai 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 35 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mordechai.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mordechai?
About 6,600 people born in the US named Mordechai are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 27. That makes Mordechai 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.
Mordechai by state
How common Mordechai was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (12.8×), New York (12.2×). In 46 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 Mordechai: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mordechai, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mordechai · Sibling names for Mordechai
Questions about the name Mordechai
What does Mordechai mean?
The origin of Mordechai is uncertain: Probably linked to Marduk, but the derivation is not settled.
How popular is the name Mordechai?
Mordechai was the 967th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 238 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 750th with 315 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 137 places. More babies were named Mordechai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mordechai a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Mordechai in the US.
Where is Mordechai most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mordechai was most common in New Jersey (1.75 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Illinois.