Noah Boy
NOH-uh
“rest, comfort” · Hebrew
#2
Zebedee
BoyHebrew· “gift of Yahweh”
- Meaning
- gift of Yahweh
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Pronunciation
- ZEH-buh-dee
- Syllables
- 3
- US rank 2025
- #5,203
- US babies 2025
- 19
- Best rank
- #1,199 (1907)
- Peak year
- 2024
Meaning and origin of Zebedee
Zebedee is a Hebrew name that means “gift of Yahweh”.
Zebedee comes from the Hebrew Zevadyah, gift of Yahweh, through the Greek form used in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Zebedee is a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee and the father of the apostles James and John, who leave their father's boat to follow Jesus. The name was used among English Puritans and later in rural Britain and America, and it has a cheerful, old-fashioned bounce today. British readers may know it from the springy character in the children's television series The Magic Roundabout. It is said ZEH-buh-dee. Zeb and Zed are natural short forms, and Zebadiah is the longer biblical relative.
Popularity over time
Zebedee first appears in US Social Security records in 1907. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #1,199 in 1907, and the most babies received it in 2024, when 38 were named Zebedee. In 2025, 19 babies were named Zebedee, and it ranked #5,203 nationally. That is 73% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #2,456 in 1920, #1,656 in 1950, #4,491 in 1980, #5,039 in 2000, #9,681 in 2010, and #5,203 in 2025. Of the 1,276 US boys named Zebedee since records began, 14% were born in the 1950s, its biggest decade. The 2020s come next, with 135 babies. Since 2010, 226 more have been named Zebedee.
Other boys' names that peaked around the same time include Iram, Benzion, Aran, Ovidio, and Jehu.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for boys.
Zebedee is usually pronounced ZEH-buh-dee, with three syllables. It has seven letters, starts with Z and ends in “-ee”.
Middle names for Zebedee
A few middle names that flow with Zebedee: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Zebedee
Similar names
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Lists that include Zebedee
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Zebedee mean?
Zebedee is a Hebrew name that means “gift of Yahweh”.
What is the origin of the name Zebedee?
Zebedee has Hebrew roots. Zebedee comes from the Hebrew Zevadyah, gift of Yahweh, through the Greek form used in the New Testament.
Is Zebedee a popular name?
Not especially. Zebedee ranked #5,203 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Zebedee a boy or girl name?
Zebedee is mainly a boy's name. In the US it is used almost only for boys.
How do you pronounce Zebedee?
Zebedee is usually pronounced ZEH-buh-dee. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings