Ezra is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "help" or "assistance." It is derived from the Hebrew word "ʾozere," which means "to help" or "to assist." In the Bible, Ezra was a scribe and priest who played a significant role in restoring Jewish religious life after the Babylonian exile. He is credited with reestablishing the authority of the Torah, or Jewish law, among the returned exiles.
The name Ezra has been popular among Jews throughout history but has gained wider recognition in recent years due to its usage in pop culture. For example, it was the name of a character played by Ezra Miller in the Harry Potter film series and is also the title of a book written by Iraqi-American author, Reza Aslan.
Overall, Ezra is a strong, distinctive name with a rich history and meaningful significance that continues to appeal to parents seeking unique names for their children.
The given statistics provide an interesting overview of the popularity of the name Ezra over the past century in the United States.
From 1915 to around the mid-1990s, the number of births with the name Ezra fluctuated between 5 and 19 per year. However, starting from 1997, there was a noticeable increase in the popularity of this name, with more than 24 babies named Ezra born each year.
This trend continued into the new millennium, with the number of Ezra births doubling from around 30 in 2000 to over 60 in 2005. The years 2007 to 2016 saw a steady increase in popularity, with more than 80 Ezra births occurring annually.
In recent years, there has been a significant surge in the number of babies named Ezra. Between 2017 and 2023, the annual birth count for this name ranged from 207 to 457, indicating that Ezra is currently one of the most popular names for boys in the United States.
In total, over the past century, there have been approximately 4275 babies named Ezra born in the United States.