Rebekah
Rebekah was the 884th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 302 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 143rd; the most babies were born in 1996 (2,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 365 places. More babies were named Rebekah in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Rebecca) Origin uncertain · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #884 girls, down 111 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 302girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19962,222 babies
- Total since 1880
- 75,915babies recorded
What does the name Rebekah mean?
Rebekah 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
Rebekah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 119 since 1974.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #884 | 302 |
| 2020 | #773 | 352 |
| 2010 | #404 | 795 |
| 2000 | #173 | 1,896 |
| 1990 | #149 | 2,044 |
| 1980 | #162 | 1,729 |
| 1970 | #519 | 375 |
| 1960 | #727 | 194 |
| 1950 | #896 | 98 |
| 1940 | #1,166 | 40 |
| 1930 | #2,007 | 18 |
| 1920 | #2,062 | 19 |
| 1910 | #2,357 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Rebekah, counting every spelling?
Rebekah is a spelling of Rebecca, a name family that ranked #255 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #884 for Rebekah 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 Rebekah?
302 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rebekah (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rebekah 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 28 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rebekah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rebekah?
About 72,500 people born in the US named Rebekah are alive today, with a median age of 34; half are between 25 and 44. That makes Rebekah mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Rebekah by state
How common Rebekah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (2.8×), Kansas (2.6×), Missouri (1.9×), Utah (1.8×), Ohio (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rebekah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rebekah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Rebekah
What does Rebekah mean?
The origin of Rebecca is uncertain: sources give 'connection', 'tie' or 'captivating'; none is certain.
How popular is the name Rebekah?
Rebekah was the 884th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 302 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 143rd; the most babies were born in 1996 (2,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 365 places. More babies were named Rebekah in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Rebekah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rebekah in the US.
Where is Rebekah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rebekah was most common in Pennsylvania (0.51 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Montana.