girl's name
Naomi
nay-OH-mee
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 229,528
the United States
#47
2025 births
Naomi is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "pleasantness," from No'omi. In the Book of Ruth she asks to be called Mara, meaning bitter, after losing her husband and sons — a deliberate contrast the text draws with her own name.
- Naomi is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 4,649 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 713 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Naomi 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 | 629 |
| 1890s | 2,074 |
| 1900s | 3,700 |
| 1910s | 12,049 |
| 1920s | 18,242 |
| 1930s | 13,564 |
| 1940s | 8,956 |
| 1950s | 7,495 |
| 1960s | 6,166 |
| 1970s | 8,455 |
| 1980s | 10,912 |
| 1990s | 12,922 |
| 2000s | 23,781 |
| 2010s | 36,216 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 26,676 |
What Naomi means
Naomi means pleasantness or sweetness, from the Hebrew na'im, meaning pleasant. The biblical narrative turns directly on that meaning, since Naomi rejects her own name in grief and asks to be called its opposite.
Where Naomi comes from
Naomi comes from the Hebrew No'omi, from na'im, meaning pleasant or agreeable. The Book of Ruth gives the name unusual literary weight: returning to Bethlehem widowed and bereaved, Naomi tells her neighbors not to call her Naomi but Mara, meaning bitter, because her circumstances have inverted what her name declares. The exchange is one of the clearest examples in the Hebrew Bible of a name being used as a deliberate literary device. Naomi is also an established Japanese name, written with characters meaning straight and beautiful, which is a genuine coincidence rather than a shared root. It entered English use after the Reformation.
Naomi in use
Naomi and the unrelated Japanese name Naomi are a true coincidence — two languages arriving independently at the same sound.
How popular is Naomi?
In 2025, Naomi was given to 4,649 babies in the United States, ranking #47 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Naomi 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 Naomi
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Naomi also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Naomi over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Naomi
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.
Naomi 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 Naomi
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Naomi — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Naomi
What does the name Naomi mean?
Naomi means "pleasantness," from the Hebrew na'im.
Who was Naomi in the Bible?
Naomi is Ruth's mother-in-law in the Book of Ruth, who asks to be called Mara, meaning bitter, after losing her family.
Is Naomi also a Japanese name?
Yes, written with characters meaning straight and beautiful — a coincidence rather than a shared origin.
How popular is the name Naomi?
In 2025, Naomi was given to 4,649 babies in the United States, ranking #47 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Naomi a girl's or a boy's name?
Naomi is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Naomi?
Naomi has 3 syllables.
When was Naomi most popular?
Naomi peaked in 2025, when 4,649 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Naomi?
Naomi is usually shortened to Nomi.
Is Naomi a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Naomi currently ranks #47 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.