Rebeca
Rebeca was the 1339th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 166 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 634th with 422 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 13 places. More babies were named Rebeca in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Rebecca) Origin uncertain · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,339 girls, down 94 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 166girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2003422 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,198babies recorded
What does the name Rebeca mean?
Rebeca is a spelling of Rebecca, pronounced the same way, so it shares Rebecca's meaning and origin.
Rebecca is the Latin form of Rebekah, the wife of Isaac in Genesis (her birth is noted in Genesis 22:23). The meaning of the Hebrew Rivqah is debated: DMNES relates it to a Semitic root meaning "to tie, couple" and the Random House dictionary glosses it "binding", while Wiktionary gives "captivating, snare". DMNES says the name came into use in England in the second half of the 16th century.
רִבְקָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Rebekah (root perhaps 'to tie')”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Sources give 'connection', 'tie' or 'captivating'; none is certain.
Related names: Rebekah, Becky, Becca, Rivka.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rebecca', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rebecca', DMNES, Durham University
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Genesis 22.23, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Rebecca', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Rebeca popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1986.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,339 | 166 |
| 2020 | #1,245 | 183 |
| 2010 | #1,205 | 201 |
| 2000 | #708 | 329 |
| 1990 | #724 | 289 |
| 1980 | #896 | 170 |
| 1970 | #1,206 | 94 |
| 1960 | #1,310 | 71 |
| 1950 | #1,901 | 26 |
| 1940 | #1,947 | 18 |
| 1930 | #1,341 | 33 |
| 1920 | #2,561 | 14 |
| 1910 | #2,101 | 7 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Rebeca, counting every spelling?
Rebeca is a spelling of Rebecca, a name family that ranked #255 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,339 for Rebeca on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,346 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca | 872 | #350 | 4,901 |
| Rebekah | 302 | #884 | 1,484 |
| Rebeca | 166 | #1,339 | 857 |
| Rebecka | 6 | #14,547 | 34 |
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 Rebeca?
166 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rebeca (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rebeca 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 51 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rebeca.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rebeca?
About 13,200 people born in the US named Rebeca are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 18 and 41. That makes Rebeca 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.
Rebeca by state
How common Rebeca was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.4×), Arizona (2.3×), Massachusetts (2.3×), Maryland (1.9×). In 35 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 Rebeca: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rebeca, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Rebeca
What does Rebeca mean?
The origin of Rebecca is uncertain: sources give 'connection', 'tie' or 'captivating'; none is certain.
How popular is the name Rebeca?
Rebeca was the 1339th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 166 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 634th with 422 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 13 places. More babies were named Rebeca in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Rebeca a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rebeca in the US.
Where is Rebeca most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rebeca was most common in Texas (0.25 per 1,000 girls), followed by Arizona and Massachusetts.