Given name & surname
Cephas
“as solid as a rock”
Cephas is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “as solid as a rock.”
Original GreekΚηφας
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “as solid as a rock.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Cephas developed from ܟܐܦܐ.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1898. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Cephas appears in John 19:19-20.
From biblical name research
Cephas through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 930
- 930 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 23 babies
- 2025
- 19
- #5,070 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 19 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,070 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 23 in 1921. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 580 as a first name in 2020; 1,823 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.
Cephas’s family of names
In English usage, Cephas developed from the Classical Syriac form ܟܐܦܐ. In English usage, Cephas has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form KEFAS. In English usage, Cephas has a conventional equivalent in the Basque form Kepa.
The ring: across languages.
Around the world
Cephas has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Cephas
- Cephas ChimedzaZimbabwean footballerborn 1984
- Cephas MaleleSwiss association football playerborn 1994
- Cephas Yao AgbemenuGhanaian sculptor and educatorborn 1951
- Cephas of Iconiumorthodox saint
- Cephas ZhuwaoZimbabwean cricketerborn 1984
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cephas, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Enos
“mankind” · “a man”
>99% boys
Oran
“surrounded by light” · “a pale-skinned man”
>99% boys
Susano
“lily”
>99% boys
Lemuel
“devoted to God” · “one who belongs to God”
>99% boys
Hiram
“my brother has been exalted”
>99% boys
Hershel
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Mahlon
“one who is sick”
98% boys · 2% girls
Pincus
Pincus is a surname from Hebrew.
>99% boys