Ephraim Boy

Popularity: #709 · Trend: → Stable

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EF-rye-um /ˈɛf.reɪ.ɪm/

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Hebrew: fruitful; doubly fruitful

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ephraim has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the name אֶפְרָיִם (Efrayim), which is believed to mean "fruitful" or "double fruit." This etymology reflects the biblical narrative where Ephraim was the second son of Joseph and Asenath, as recounted in the Book of Genesis. The name entered the Greek lexicon as Εφραίμ (Ephraim) and was subsequently adopted into Latin, maintaining its form and meaning.

The transition into Old French and then into Middle English preserved the name's phonetic qualities, leading to its current English form. Historically, Ephraim is significant in the context of the Hebrew Bible, where the tribe of Ephraim became one of the most prominent tribes of Israel, often associated with strength and leadership.

The tribe played a crucial role in the history of the Israelites, especially during the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy. In the 8th century BCE, the term "Ephraim" was also used poetically in the prophetic literature to refer to the northern kingdom of Israel, highlighting its importance in the socio-political landscape of ancient Israel.

Culturally, Ephraim has resonated through various religious traditions, particularly within Judaism and Christianity. In Christian texts, Ephraim is sometimes symbolically associated with abundance and blessing, reflecting its original meaning.

The name has also been borne by several saints, including Saint Ephraim the Syrian, a notable theologian and poet of the 4th century, whose works contributed significantly to early Christian literature. The name's enduring legacy is further exemplified by its use in various liturgical contexts and its presence in religious texts, reinforcing its cultural and spiritual significance.

Famous people named Ephraim

In this section, you will find notable people named Ephraim. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Ephraim who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ephraim who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Ephraim Kishon was a writer and playwright best known for The Last Train from Berlin, The Double Life of Mr. R., and The Adventures of Mr. K.

Ephraim Zimbalist Jr. was an actor best known for 77 Sunset Strip, The F.B.I., and The Great Escape.

Fictional characters named Ephraim

The following list of fictional characters named Ephraim is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ephraim is a fictional character from the video game series Fire Emblem. He is a prince and a skilled tactician who plays a crucial role in the story of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ephraim, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

IsaacJacobLeviSamuelBenjaminDaniel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ephraim. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EliasElijahEzraAsherGideonMalachiJosiahZachariah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ephraim was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Ephraim has ranked as high as #1827 nationally, which occurred in 2017, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and New Jersey.

In the past 5 years the name Ephraim has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ephraim is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ephraim was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ephraim.

Year Total Births Boy
2025 231 231
2024 232 232
2023 224 224
2022 202 202
2021 229 229
2020 210 210
2019 221 221
2018 223 223
2017 260 260
2016 254 254
2015 231 231
2014 229 229
2013 210 210
2012 199 199
2011 174 174
2010 181 181
2009 184 184
2008 179 179
2007 152 152
2006 151 151
2005 147 147
2004 143 143
2003 115 115
2002 88 88
2001 72 72
2000 94 94
1999 67 67
1998 69 69
1997 68 68
1996 68 68
1995 57 57
1994 71 71
1993 57 57
1992 58 58
1991 61 61
1990 58 58
1989 73 73
1988 61 61
1987 70 70
1986 59 59
1985 61 61
1984 55 55
1983 55 55
1982 65 65
1981 49 49
1980 52 52
1979 47 47
1978 33 33
1977 57 57
1976 52 52
1975 41 41
1974 54 54
1973 37 37
1972 40 40
1971 39 39
1970 39 39
1969 21 21
1968 30 30
1967 30 30
1966 16 16
1965 27 27
1964 20 20
1963 28 28
1962 25 25
1961 27 27
1960 34 34
1959 19 19
1958 20 20
1957 29 29
1956 33 33
1955 24 24
1954 19 19
1953 14 14
1952 23 23
1951 29 29
1950 18 18
1949 23 23
1948 18 18
1947 18 18
1946 19 19
1945 15 15
1944 17 17
1943 20 20
1942 22 22
1941 10 10
1940 15 15
1939 24 24
1938 8 8
1937 10 10
1936 15 15
1935 15 15
1934 22 22
1933 27 27
1932 17 17
1931 19 19
1930 29 29
1929 25 25
1928 30 30
1927 26 26
1926 38 38
1925 36 36
1924 34 34
1923 45 45
1922 36 36
1921 42 42
1920 36 36
1919 27 27
1918 38 38
1917 39 39
1916 30 30
1915 40 40
1914 36 36
1913 26 26
1912 20 20
1911 13 13
1910 6 6
1909 8 8
1908 7 7
1907 7 7
1906 5 5
1904 8 8
1902 10 10
1900 8 8
1899 6 6
1898 8 8
1897 9 9
1895 10 10
1894 9 9
1893 9 9
1892 8 8
1891 6 6
1890 11 11
1889 7 7
1888 16 16
1887 10 10
1886 14 14
1885 11 11
1884 12 12
1883 14 14
1882 10 10
1881 15 15
1880 18 18

Top States for Ephraim (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
NY 19
10%
PA 18
10%
TX 16
9%
UT 12
6%
NJ 12
6%
CA 12
6%
NC 8
4%
MA 7
4%
MD 7
4%
GA 6
3%
ID 6
3%
IL 6
3%
IN 6
3%
OH 6
3%
FL 6
3%
NE 5
3%
VA 5
3%
WA 5
3%
WI 5
3%
KS 5
3%
AZ 5
3%
KY 5
3%
TN 5
3%