Neriah
Neriah was the 762nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 356 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 186 places. More babies were named Neriah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning lamp of God · Hebrew
Say it nuh-RY-uh /nəˈraɪə/
- Rank in 2025
- #762 girls, up 839 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 356girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025356 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,748babies recorded
What does the name Neriah mean?
Neriah is a Hebrew name from the Bible, where Neriah is the father of Baruch, to whom the prophet Jeremiah hands a deed of purchase (Jeremiah 32:12). Wikipedia gives the Hebrew Neriyyah the meaning "my lamp is Yah", from ner, "lamp, candle", and Yah, a short form of the name of God. In the Bible it is a man's name, but in the US today it is used mostly for girls; Wiktionary records it as a female given name.
נֵרִיָּה (Hebrew, “Neriah”)נֵר (Hebrew, “lamp, candle”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Neriyah, Nerya.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean light.
Sources for this meaning
- Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah 32:12, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Wikipedia, 'Neriah', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Neriah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'אבנר', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Neriah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 97 since 2009, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #762 | 356 |
| 2020 | #1,601 | 131 |
| 2010 | #1,972 | 102 |
| 2000 | #6,718 | 16 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Neriah, counting every spelling?
Neriah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #762 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together. Together these spellings went to 362 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neriah | 356 | #762 | 1,333 |
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 Neriah?
356 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Neriah (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Neriah 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Neriah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Neriah?
About 3,600 people born in the US named Neriah are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 3 and 13. That makes Neriah 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.
Neriah by state
How common Neriah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.5×), Florida (2.0×), Massachusetts (1.8×), Virginia (1.7×), Georgia (1.6×). In 25 states fewer than five girls 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 Neriah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Neriah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Neriah · Sibling names for Neriah
Questions about the name Neriah
What does Neriah mean?
Neriah means “lamp of God” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Neriah?
Neriah was the 762nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 356 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 186 places. More babies were named Neriah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Neriah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Neriah in the US.
Where is Neriah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Neriah was most common in Maryland (0.41 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and Massachusetts.