Given name
Naphtali
“wrestling”
Naphtali is used as a given name. One Hebrew interpretation is “wrestling.”
Original Hebrewנפתלי
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “wrestling.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
The name appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Naphtali appears in Genesis 30:8, Judges 4:6, Matthew 4:13 and 2 other passages.
- Genesis 30:8
- Judges 4:6
- Matthew 4:13
- Revelation 7:6
- Matthew 4:15
From biblical name research
Naphtali through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 354
- 271 boys · 83 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 19 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #11,588 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11,588 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 359 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Naphtali’s family of names
In English usage, Naphtali has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Neftali. Naphtali has a related form in Naftali.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Naphtali
- Naphtali Hirz WesselyGerman scholar1725–1805
- Naphtali Lau-LaviePolish-born Israeli journalist and diplomat1926–2014
- Naphtali CohenRussian Orthodox rabbi1649–1718
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Naphtali, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Amzi
“strong” · “my strength”
>99% boys
Abaddon
“destructive one” · “place of destruction”
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Abimael
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>99% boys
Amaziah
“Yah is strong” · “strength of Yah”
90% boys · 10% girls
Azarel
“God has helped”
>99% boys
Jaaziah
“Yah strengthens”
92% boys · 8% girls
Hanniel
“God has been gracious”
>99% boys
Abiner
“my father is a lamp” · “father of light”
>99% boys