How to say it
ne · he · MI · ah
ˌniː.əˈmaɪ.ə
Masculine
Nehemiah
Comforted by Yahweh
What it means
Hebrew Nechemyah, 'Yahweh comforts' or 'comforted by God.'
Nehemiah comes from the Hebrew Nechemyah, 'the Lord comforts.' In scripture, Nehemiah was the cupbearer who returned from exile to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, and he has his own book recounting it. It is a long, rolling biblical name in the company of Isaiah and Jeremiah, growing among faith-minded families. Miah and Nem are the shorts.
How to spell Nehemiah
The standard spelling is Nehemiah. Common variants include Nehemias, Nechemya, Nahum, but Nehemiah is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #336 in 2010, currently #429 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Miah is the natural short.
- Worth knowing
Theophoric ('Yahweh comforts'); the biblical rebuilder of Jerusalem's walls.
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.
- Nehemiah the Hebrew governor who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem
Spelling variants
- Nehemias
- Nechemya
- Nahum
Names with the same feeling
See Nehemiah from another angle
By meaning
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Common questions
- What does the name Nehemiah mean?
- Hebrew Nechemyah, 'Yahweh comforts' or 'comforted by God.'
- What does Nehemiah mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Nehemiah means "Comforted by Yahweh." Nehemiah comes from the Hebrew Nechemyah, 'the Lord comforts.' In scripture, Nehemiah was the cupbearer who returned from exile to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, and he has his own book recounting it. It is a long, rolling biblical name in the company of Isaiah and Jeremiah, growing among faith-minded families. Miah and Nem are the shorts.
- How do you pronounce Nehemiah?
- Nehemiah is pronounced ˌniː.əˈmaɪ.ə. Say it as ne-he-MI-ah, with the stress on the "mi" syllable.
- How do you spell Nehemiah?
- The standard spelling is Nehemiah. Common spelling variants include Nehemias, Nechemya, Nahum.
- Is Nehemiah a boy or girl name?
- Nehemiah is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Nehemiah?
- Nehemiah ranked #429 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.