girl's name
Rebekah
ruh-BEK-uh (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 84,800
the United States
#885
2025 births
Rebekah is the spelling the King James Bible uses for the Old Testament, while the New Testament in the same book uses Rebecca — one translation, two spellings, and English inherited both. It holds 84,800 lifetime births on record.
- Rebekah is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1996, when 2,222 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 10,978 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1883.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Rebekah Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 55 |
| 1900s | 32 |
| 1910s | 183 |
| 1920s | 191 |
| 1930s | 222 |
| 1940s | 616 |
| 1950s | 1,822 |
| 1960s | 2,401 |
| 1970s | 9,678 |
| 1980s | 18,402 |
| 1990s | 20,934 |
| 2000s | 13,556 |
| 2010s | 5,969 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,836 |
What Rebekah Means
Rebekah means to bind or tie firmly. The Hebrew root is not securely established, and a knotted cord, a snare and a tie are all proposed for it.
Where Rebekah Comes From
Rebekah renders the Hebrew Rivkah, whose derivation is open — a root meaning to tie or bind is the usual proposal, read as a knotted cord or a snare. The split in spelling is a translation artefact: the King James Version uses Rebekah in Genesis and Rebecca in Romans, following the Hebrew and Greek forms respectively, so English ended up with both. Rebekah is Isaac's wife and the one who engineers Jacob's deception of his father.
Rebekah in Use
Rebekah peaked in the United States in 1996, when 2,222 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 885th in the United States on 302 births, 1,669th in England and Wales on 16 and 6,052nd in France, across 84,800 lifetime births in four markets. Rebecca, the other spelling, holds far more volume.
How Popular Is Rebekah?
In 2025, Rebekah was given to 302 babies in the United States, ranking #885 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Rebekah 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 Rebekah
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Rebekah Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rebekah over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Rebekah
- English ruh-BEK-uh /ɹəˈbɛk.ə/
2 nicknames for Rebekah
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.
Rebekah 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 Rebekah
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Rebekah — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Rebekah
What does the name Rebekah mean?
To bind or tie firmly — though the Hebrew root is not securely established.
Why are there two spellings?
The King James Version uses Rebekah in Genesis and Rebecca in Romans, following the Hebrew and Greek.
Who was Rebekah?
Isaac's wife, and the one who engineers Jacob's deception of his father.
How popular is Rebekah?
885th in the United States, down from a 1996 peak of 2,222 births.
Is Rebekah a girl's or a boy's name?
Rebekah is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Rebekah?
Rebekah has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Rebekah?
Rebekah is usually shortened to Becky and Bex.
Is Rebekah a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rebekah currently ranks #885 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.