boys' name ★ peaked 2017

Ephraim

Meaning Ephraim Gender Boy Rank 2025 #988 Trend → Stable

From Hebrew אֶפְרַיִם (Efráyim, “Ephraim”, literally “fruitful”), via Latin.

Rank 2025
#988
among boys · ↓12 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
231
named Ephraim
How common
1 in 7,394
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2017
260 babies
All-time total
8,236
#1,345 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ephraim popularity over time

8,236 babies have been named Ephraim since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1880Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 127 13 – #407
1890s 76 8 -40% #611
1900s 53 5 -30% #761
1910s 275 28 +419% #912
1920s 348 35 +27% #1,062
1930s 186 19 -47% #1,286
1940s 177 18 -5% #1,507
1950s 228 23 +29% #1,348
1960s 258 26 +13% #1,369
1970s 439 44 +70% #1,118
1980s 600 60 +37% #1,135
1990s 634 63 +6% #1,388
2000s 1,325 133 +109% #1,039
2010s 2,182 218 +65% #848
2020s (to 2025) 1,328 221 +1% #974

Where Ephraim is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 234 0.14 outside top 500
2027 236 0.14 outside top 500
2028 238 0.14 outside top 500
2029 240 0.14 outside top 500
2030 242 0.14 outside top 500

Where Ephraim is most popular

Boys named Ephraim per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.129 per 1,000. Strongest in Idaho, Utah, and New Jersey.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Ephraim born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Idaho 27 0.660 +410%
Utah 58 0.608 +369%
New Jersey 68 0.338 +161%
Pennsylvania 74 0.279 +115%
New York 97 0.224 +73%
Indiana 35 0.218 +69%
Maryland 24 0.201 +55%
Washington 31 0.189 +46%
Minnesota 23 0.187 +45%
Kansas 12 0.175 +35%
Iowa 10 0.145 +12%
Ohio 35 0.132 ≈ national
Wisconsin 15 0.127 ≈ national
Nebraska 5 0.115 -11%
North Carolina 29 0.114 -12%
Florida 52 0.110 -15%
Missouri 15 0.108 -16%
Virginia 20 0.105 -19%
Arizona 17 0.104 -20%
Georgia 25 0.099 -24%
Illinois 23 0.090 -30%
Nevada 5 0.088 -32%
Texas 65 0.074 -43%
California 63 0.069 -47%
Michigan 13 0.063 -51%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -56%
Tennessee 10 0.055 -57%
Massachusetts 7 0.051 -61%
Kentucky 5 0.050 -62%
Colorado 5 0.039 -70%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Ephraim

Ephraim is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #988 in 2025 with 231 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 8,236 American babies have been named Ephraim. Its peak came in 2017, when 260 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ephraim stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ephraim?

The median living Ephraim is about 15 years old; half are between 7 and 31. An estimated 6,900 people named Ephraim are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ephraim year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 231 #988
2024 232 #976
2023 224 #979
2022 202 #1,080
2021 229 #974
2020 210 #1,005
2019 221 #970
2018 223 #939
2017 260 #848
2016 254 #871
2015 231 #925
2014 229 #929
2013 210 #951
2012 199 #1,002
2011 174 #1,074
2010 181 #1,061
2009 184 #1,039
2008 179 #1,058
2007 152 #1,163
2006 151 #1,134
2005 147 #1,121
2004 143 #1,105
2003 115 #1,256
2002 88 #1,451
2001 72 #1,637
2000 94 #1,354
1995 57 #1,607
1990 58 #1,491
1985 61 #1,219
1980 52 #1,299
1975 41 #1,363
1970 39 #1,340
1965 27 #1,494
1960 34 #1,369
1955 24 #1,577
1950 18 #1,762
1945 15 #1,803
1940 15 #1,831
1935 15 #1,859
1930 29 #1,346
1925 36 #1,188
1920 36 #1,213
1915 40 #1,001
1910 6 #1,466
1905 – –
1900 8 #988
1895 10 #711
1890 11 #611
1885 11 #585
1880 18 #407

Famous people named Ephraim

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ephraim Katzir Ephraim Katzir President of Israel from 1973 to 1978 1916–2009 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Ephraim Kishon Ephraim Kishon Israeli author and filmmaker (1924–2005) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ephraim Chambers Ephraim Chambers English writer and encyclopaedist (c. 1680–1740) 17th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ephraim, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ephraim?

The median living Ephraim is about 15 years old. Half of all living Ephraims are between 7 and 31 years old.

How many people named Ephraim are alive today?

An estimated 6,900 people named Ephraim are alive in the United States, based on 8,236 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ephraim mean?

From Hebrew אֶפְרַיִם (Efráyim, “Ephraim”, literally “fruitful”), via Latin.

How popular is the name Ephraim in 2025?

Ephraim ranked #988 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 231 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ephraim?

8,236 babies have been named Ephraim in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ephraim most popular?

Ephraim peaked in 2017, when 260 newborns received the name.

Is Ephraim a boy or girl name?

Ephraim is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ephraim rising or falling?

Ephraim has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Ephraim become more popular?

Ephraim looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 242 boys named Ephraim in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ephraim?

Well-known people named Ephraim include Ephraim Katzir (politician), Ephraim Kishon (writer), Ephraim Chambers (writer).

Names like Ephraim

Names that sound and feel close to Ephraim: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ephraim with similar names → More names starting with E →