Given name & surname
Abraham
“father of a multitude (of nations)”·“father of a multitude; father of nations”
Abraham is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “father of a multitude (of nations)” and “father of a multitude; father of nations” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewʾavrāhām
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “father of a multitude (of nations)” and “father of a multitude; father of nations” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Abraham developed from Ἀβραάμ.
The story
The name appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Abraham appears in Genesis 11:27, Matthew 22:32, Matthew 3:9 and 9 other passages.
- Genesis 11:27
- Matthew 22:32
- Matthew 3:9
- John 8:39
- Genesis 4:20-21
- Genesis 15:6
- John 12:32
- Luke 8:2
- Proverbs 9:1
- Exodus 2:16
- Isaiah 4:1
- Revelation 1:4
From biblical name research
Abraham through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 104,175
- 103,967 boys · 208 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 2,584 babies
- 2025
- 1,664
- #209 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,664 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 209 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,584 in 2016. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (267). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 84,024 as a first name in 2020; 33,875 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Abraham’s family of names
In English usage, Abraham has a diminutive in Abe. In Indonesian usage, Abraham shares an earlier linguistic root with Ibrahim. In German usage, Abraham has a related form in Abram.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Abraham has relatives in 63 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Abraham comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 47
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ibrahimvariant · German, Tagalog
- Abramvariant · French, German
- Avrahamvariant · English
- Abepet form · English
- Bramshort form · Dutch, English
- Abrielvariant
- Abrahimvariant
- Abranvariant
Show 39 moreShow fewer
- Abrahanvariant · English
- Brahmvariant · German
- Abiediminutive · English
- Abidiminutive · German
- Abrahmvariant · German
- Abeydiminutive · English
- Abbediminutive · Swedish
- Abrianvariant
- Abramsvariant · German
- Aberhamvariant · German
- Abraamvariant · Latin
- Brahmsvariant · German
- Avromvariant
- Abrrahamlikely variant
- Abrahammlikely variant
- Абрахамvariant · Serbian
- Ἀβραάμιοςvariant · Ancient Greek
- ⲁⲃⲣⲁⲁⲙⲓⲟⲥvariant · onw
- ⲁⲃⲣⲁⲁⲙvariant · onw
- Hamhamdiminutive · ceb
- Abrahamusvariant · Latin
- Abrahamsohnvariant · German
- Abrahánvariant · Spanish
- Abramsonvariant · German
- Äbishort form · German
- Áprahamvariant · Faroese
- Ábrahamvariant · Faroese
- Abramiovariant · Italian
- Abramovariant · English, Italian
- Abramivariant
- Abrahamovariant
- Abarranvariant
- Braamvariant · German
- Abramsohnvariant · German
- Abramsenvariant · German
- Abrahamsonvariant · German, English
- Abrahamsenvariant · German, Danish
- Abrahamsvariant · German
- Aberlevariant · German
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 76
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- ʾavrāhāmHebrew
- Ebrahimrelated form
- IbrohimUzbek
- AvramSerbo-Croatian
- Abriannafeminine form
- Abrafeminine form
- Parhamequivalent
- Abrhámováequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- അബ്രഹാംequivalent
- ઇબ્રાહીમequivalent
- Mac an Bhreitheamhanequivalent
- Эйбрахамequivalent
- Âbréhanequivalent
- Abrhámequivalent
- Abråmequivalent
- 亞伯拉罕Chinese
- АбрамRussian
- আব্রাহামborrowing · Bengali
- Abromascognate · Lithuanian
- Epyaemborrowing · mlv
- എബ്രഹാംborrowing · Malayalam
- Aburahamuborrowing · Yoruba
- Aappalaatborrowing · Greenlandic
- Aapalaatborrowing · Greenlandic
- İbrahimTurkish, Tatar
- AbrãoPortuguese
- IbraimPortuguese
- Avraamdoublet · English
- Ábrahámborrowing · Hungarian
- Abarranefeminine form
- Ibrāhimrelated form
- Ābrahāmhas masculine form
- อับราฮัมThai
- AbraãoPortuguese
- Ἀβραάμroot · Ancient Greek
- ꓮ-ꓐ-ꓡ-ꓦlis
- ИбрагимовRussian
- ΑβραάμGreek
- AapoFinnish
- IbraahiimSomali
- ইব্রাহীমBengali
- AabrahamEstonian, Finnish
- ابراہیمUrdu
- АврамMacedonian, Serbo-Croatian
- エイブラハムJapanese
- ʻApelahamaHawaiian
- इब्राहीमHindi
- ИбрахимKazakh, Serbo-Croatian
- ИбраһимKazakh, Tatar
- ЫбырайымKazakh
- AbrahamuSwahili
- އިބްރާހީމްdv
- ابراهیمPersian
- ஆபிரகாம்Tamil
- இப்ராஹிம்Tamil
- אַבֿרהםYiddish
- Ебырҳамab
- אברהםYiddish
- إبراهيمArabic
- AbrahámCzech
And 16 more.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Abraham
- Abraham Lincolnpresident of the United States from 1861 to 1865 (1809-1865)
- Bram StokerIrish novelist and short story writer (1847–1912)
- Abraham MaslowAmerican psychologist (1908–1970)
- Abraham OrteliusFlemish cartographer, geographer and cosmographer (1527–1598)
- Abraham de MoivreFrench mathematician (*1667 – †1754)
- Abraham in Islamforefather of the Abrahamic religions from the Islamic perspective1813 BC
- Abraham ibn Ezra12th-century Sephardic rabbi and astrologer1092–1167
- Abraham KuyperPrime Minister of the Netherlands (1837-1920)
- Abram Petrovich GannibalAfrican-born Russian general and military engineer (c.1696–1781)
Characters named Abraham: Grampa Simpson (The Simpsons franchise), Abraham Van Helsing (Bram Stoker's Dracula), Abraham Ford (fictional character of The Walking Dead), Abraham Whistler (Blade).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Abraham, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Adam
“man” · “of the earth”
>99% boys
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys
Axel
“source of life; small oak” · “axe”
>99% boys
Tobias
“The Lord is good”
>99% boys
Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Emmanuel
“God is with us”
>99% boys
Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys
Gideon
“one who cuts down” · “a mighty warrior; one who fells trees”
>99% boys