boy's name
Ezra
EZ-ruh
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 136,005
the United States
#20
2025 births
Ezra is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "help." It belongs to the priest and scribe who led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem in the fifth century BC and is credited in Jewish tradition with re-establishing the reading of the Torah.
- Ezra is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 9,222 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 392 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ezra 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 | 356 |
| 1890s | 405 |
| 1900s | 304 |
| 1910s | 1,094 |
| 1920s | 1,391 |
| 1930s | 819 |
| 1940s | 574 |
| 1950s | 677 |
| 1960s | 588 |
| 1970s | 1,299 |
| 1980s | 1,794 |
| 1990s | 3,008 |
| 2000s | 8,891 |
| 2010s | 40,492 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 50,076 |
What Ezra means
Ezra means help or helper, from the Hebrew ezer. It is a shortened form of longer devotional names such as Azaryahu, meaning "Yahweh has helped," so the implied helper is God rather than the person carrying the name.
Where Ezra comes from
Ezra comes from the Hebrew Ezra, from the root ezer, meaning help. It is generally understood as a contracted form of a longer theophoric name such as Azaryahu, "Yahweh has helped," with the divine element dropped — a common pattern in Hebrew naming. The biblical Ezra was a priest and scribe who returned from the Babylonian exile to Jerusalem and, according to the book bearing his name, restored the public reading and observance of the Torah. The name was adopted by English speakers after the Reformation, was carried to America by Puritan settlers, and has seen a substantial revival in recent decades.
How popular is Ezra?
In 2025, Ezra was given to 8,453 babies in the United States, ranking #20 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Ezra 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.
How Ezra is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Ézra | Ézra is a rare spelling of Ezra, written with an acute accent and recorded about 25 times, mostly in France. | 25 |
Names that peaked alongside Ezra
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ezra also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ezra over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ezra 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 Ezra
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ezra — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ezra
What does the name Ezra mean?
Ezra means "help," from the Hebrew root ezer.
Is Ezra a biblical name?
Yes. Ezra was a priest and scribe who led exiles back to Jerusalem and has a book of the Hebrew Bible named for him.
Is Ezra a boy's or a girl's name?
Ezra is traditionally a boy's name, though it sees some use for girls.
How popular is the name Ezra?
In 2025, Ezra was given to 8,453 babies in the United States, ranking #20 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Ezra?
Ezra has 2 syllables.
When was Ezra most popular?
Ezra peaked in 2024, when 9,222 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Ezra a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ezra currently ranks #20 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.