How to say it
jer · e · MI · ah
/ˌdʒɛr.əˈmaɪ.ə/
Masculine
Jeremiah
Yahweh will exalt
What it means
Hebrew Yirmeyahu, 'Yahweh will exalt.' The weeping prophet of the Old Testament, author of the Book of Jeremiah and traditionally also of Lamentations.
Jeremiah comes from the Hebrew Yirmeyahu (yārum 'to exalt' + yāhū 'Yahweh'). The prophet Jeremiah preached in Jerusalem during the Babylonian conquest in the 6th century BC; his book and Lamentations together preserve the most-quoted material on grief in the Hebrew Bible. The word 'jeremiad' (a long sad lament) comes directly from his name. The English Jeremiah was rare until the 1970s and then took off during the biblical-name revival, joining Elijah and Isaiah at the top of the trend. Jerry was the dominant 20th-century short; Jem is rising among parents who prefer it.
Popularity over time
peaked at #49 in 2011, currently #88 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Jerry was the 20th-century dominant short; Jem is rising. The word 'jeremiad' (a long sad lament) comes directly from the prophet.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Jeremiah (Bible) The weeping prophet of 6th-century-BC Jerusalem, author of the Book of Jeremiah
- Jeremiah Johnson 1972 Robert Redford film, the cultural anchor for the modern usage
Spelling variants
- Jeremy
- Yirmeyahu
- Jeremias
Names with the same feeling
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