boy's name
Abraham
AY-bra-ham
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 111,058
the United States
#210
2025 births
Abraham is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "father of many." Genesis states the meaning outright at the moment the name is given — one of very few names in scripture explained by the text itself.
- Abraham is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 2,584 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,992 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Abraham over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 776 |
| 1890s | 849 |
| 1900s | 1,145 |
| 1910s | 6,040 |
| 1920s | 5,114 |
| 1930s | 2,500 |
| 1940s | 2,235 |
| 1950s | 2,918 |
| 1960s | 2,711 |
| 1970s | 5,172 |
| 1980s | 8,753 |
| 1990s | 13,060 |
| 2000s | 19,895 |
| 2010s | 22,252 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,755 |
What Abraham means
Abraham means father of a multitude. The text glosses it directly, though linguists note the explanation is scriptural rather than a straightforward derivation from the elements.
Where Abraham comes from
Abraham comes from the Hebrew Avraham, a lengthening of Avram, high father. Genesis records the change as part of a covenant: the name becomes Avraham because he is made the father of a multitude of nations, reading the second element as hamon, multitude. Scholars generally treat that as a scriptural gloss rather than a derivation, but it is the meaning the name has carried for three thousand years. He is the common ancestor claimed by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, where he is Ibrahim — which we hold separately.
Abraham in use
Our data shows Abraham stable, peaking in 2016, at 210 in the United States against 630 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. Ibrahim, the same name in Arabic, sits at 70 in England and Wales — so the two forms rank in opposite orders in the two markets.
How popular is Abraham?
In 2025, Abraham was given to 1,664 babies in the United States, ranking #210 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Abraham is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Abraham
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Abraham also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Abraham over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Abraham
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Abraham in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Abraham
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Abraham — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Abraham
What does the name Abraham mean?
Abraham means "father of many," which Genesis states outright at the moment the name is given.
Are Abraham and Ibrahim the same name?
Yes — Ibrahim is the Arabic form, and it outranks Abraham in England and Wales.
What was he called before?
Avram, meaning high father. The name was lengthened as part of the covenant.
How popular is the name Abraham?
In 2025, Abraham was given to 1,664 babies in the United States, ranking #210 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Abraham a girl's or a boy's name?
Abraham is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Abraham?
Abraham has 3 syllables.
When was Abraham most popular?
Abraham peaked in 2016, when 2,584 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Abraham?
Abraham is usually shortened to Abe, Bram and Abram.
Is Abraham a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Abraham currently ranks #210 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.