Given name & surname
Jeremiah
“appointed by God”·“one who is exalted by the Lord”
Jeremiah is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “appointed by God” (Hebrew) and “one who is exalted by the Lord” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewירמיה
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “appointed by God” (Hebrew) and “one who is exalted by the Lord” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Jeremiah developed from Ἰερεμίας.
The story
In biblical tradition, Jeremiah is the name of the Hebrew prophet of the 7th-6th centuries BC.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Jeremiah appears in Jeremiah 1:1, Jeremiah 32:7-15, Jeremiah 32:12 and 3 other passages.
- Jeremiah 1:1
- Jeremiah 32:7-15
- Jeremiah 32:12
- Matthew 2:17
- 2 Kings 23:31
- Jeremiah 35:3
From biblical name research
Jeremiah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 226,373
- 225,674 boys · 699 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 7,756 babies
- 2025
- 3,849
- #88 for boys · #10,461 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,840 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 88 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,743 in 2010. It also appeared in 9 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (548). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 157,203 as a first name in 2020; 1,441 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.
Jeremiah’s family of names
In English usage, Jeremiah has a diminutive in Jerry. In English usage, Jeremiah shares an earlier linguistic root with Jeremias. Jeremiah has a related form in Jeramiah.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jeremiah has relatives in 27 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
23 related names in 27 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jeremiasvariant · English, Portuguese
- Jerrydiminutive · English
- Jeramiahvariant
- Jeremyahvariant
- Jeremiavariant · German
- Jemdiminutive · English
- Jerremiahlikely variant
- Jeramiavariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Geremiarelated form · Italian
- Jormaequivalent
- Yeremeyequivalent
- Еремейequivalent
- Яремаequivalent
- ירמיהequivalent
- JérémieFrench
- Yeremiyaborrowing · tum, Chichewa
Show 16 moreShow fewer
See also 17
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jeremiah
- Jeremiah HorrocksEnglish astronomer1618–1641
- Jeremiah ManeleSolomon Islands politicianborn 1968
- Jeremias II of ConstantinoplePatriarch of Constantinople1536–1595
- Jeremiah ClarkeEnglish baroque composer and organist1674–1707
- Jeremiah S. BlackAmerican lawyer and politician (1810-1883)
- Jeremiah AzuBritish sprinterborn 2001
- Jeremiah DentonAmerican Vietnam War POW and politician (1924-2014)
- Jeremiah P. OstrikerAmerican astronomer1937–2025
- Jerry HarrisonAmerican musicianborn 1949
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jeremiah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jonah
“dove”
99% boys · 1% girls
Jesus
“God is my salvation”
>99% boys
Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Isaiah
“God is salvation” · “God is my salvation”
>99% boys
Emmanuel
“God is with us”
>99% boys
Judah
“praised” · “one who praises God”
98% boys · 2% girls
Ethan
“firmness” · “long-lived”
>99% boys
Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys