Given name & surname
Eben
“as solid as a rock”
Eben is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “as solid as a rock.”
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 Afrikaans usage, Eben is a short form of EBENHAEZER.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Eben through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,614
- 3,608 boys · 6 girls
- Most popular year
- 2012
- 100 babies
- 2025
- 28
- #3,874 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −27%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 28 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,874 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 100 in 2012. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,648 as a first name in 2020; 440 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.
Eben’s family of names
In English usage, Eben has a diminutive in Ebbie. Eben has a related form in Ebon. Eben has a related form in Ebin.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ebbiediminutive · English
- Ebbevariant
- Ebvariant
- Ebinvariant
- Ebonvariant
- Ebanvariant
- Ebunvariant
- Ebynvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Eben
- Eben MoglenAmerican law professor and free software advocateborn 1959
- Eben EtzebethSouth African rugby union footballerborn 1991
- Eben ByersIndustrialist, amateur golfer (1880-1932)
- Eben AlexanderAmerican neurosurgeonborn 1953
- Eben UptonBritish computer scientistborn 1978
- Eben Sumner DraperAmerican politician (1858-1914)
- Eben E. RexfordAmerican lyricist and horticulturist (1848–1916)
- Eben Norton HorsfordAmerican food scientist and chemist (1818–1893)
- Eben MartinAmerican politician (1855-1932)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Eben, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elnathan
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Enan
“having eyes” · “having fountains”
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Azzan
“strong one” · “their strength”
>99% boys
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“enclosure” · “cluster”
>99% boys
Alian
“tall” · “going up”
>99% boys
Berel
Berel is a masculine given name from Yiddish.
>99% boys