Given name & surname
Absalom
“father of peace”
Absalom is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “father of peace.”
Original Hebrewאבשלום
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “father of peace.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Hebrew אַבְשָׁלוֹם (avshalóm, “father of peace”), built from Hebrew אָב (av, “father”) + שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
The name appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Absalom appears in 2 Samuel 3:3, 2 Samuel 13:28, 2 Samuel 18:14.
- 2 Samuel 3:3
- 2 Samuel 13:28
- 2 Samuel 18:14
From biblical name research
Absalom through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 208
- 208 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1990
- 10 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Steady
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 10 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 222 as a first name in 2020; 177 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.
Absalom’s family of names
In German usage, Absalom has a related form in Axel. In Finnish usage, Absalom has a related form in Absalon. In English usage, Absalom has a conventional equivalent in the Swedish form Absalon.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Absalom has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
7 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Axelvariant · German
- Absalonvariant · Danish, Norwegian
- Avshalomvariant
- Avsholomvariant
- Absolonvariant
- Absolomvariant
- Absolemvariant
- Abshalomvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 58
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Abigailshares a root
- Solomonshares a root
- Abramshares a root
- Abnershares a root
- Salomeshares a root
- Abielshares a root
- Joabshares a root
- Eliabshares a root
Show 50 moreShow fewer
- Jobshares a root
- Abimaelshares a root
- Abishaishares a root
- Abbashares a root
- Abijahshares a root
- Abishares a root
- Abinershares a root
- Abiahshares a root
- Abiudshares a root
- Abiramshares a root
- Abinadabshares a root
- Abiashares a root
- Abihailshares a root
- Abiezershares a root
- Abidanshares a root
- Abidashares a root
- Shelumielshares a root
- Shelomithshares a root
- Shelomothshares a root
- Shelomishares a root
- Shelemiahshares a root
- Shalmanshares a root
- Shallunshares a root
- Shillemshares a root
- Shallumshares a root
- Meshullamshares a root
- Meshillemothshares a root
- Meshillemithshares a root
- Meshelemiahshares a root
- Abitubshares a root
- Abitalshares a root
- Abishurshares a root
- Abishuashares a root
- Abishagshares a root
- Abinoamshares a root
- Abimelechshares a root
- Abijamshares a root
- Abihudshares a root
- Abihushares a root
- Abiatharshares a root
- Abiasaphshares a root
- Abi-Albonshares a root
- Oholiabshares a root
- Moabshares a root
- Huram-abishares a root
- Chileabshares a root
- Ben-abinadabshares a root
- Bebaishares a root
- Barabbasshares a root
- Ahabshares a root
People named Absalom
- Themba DlaminiPrime Minister of Eswatiniborn 1950
- A. Willis RobertsonAmerican politician (1887-1971)
- Absalom Jonesminister1745–1818
- Absalom BairdUnion Army general and Medal of Honor recipient (1824–1905)
- Absalom Harris ChappellAmerican politician, lawyer (1801–1878)
- Absalom Tatompolitician (1742-1802)
- Abesalom VekuaGeorgian paleontologist (1925–2014)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Absalom, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Nahshon
“serpent” · “bronze”
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Adbeel
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>99% boys
Izhar
“he will be ripe” · “he will produce oil”
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Amoz
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Alian
“tall” · “going up”
>99% boys