Take Noah and Isaiah, cross them with Zachary and what do you get?
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Ezekiel as Baby Name of the Day.
The rise of the Biblical boys might be one of more surprising trends in recent decades, but it is undeniable. Your average elementary school class contains at least one Old Testament prophet.
As prophets go, Ezekiel is a pretty major figure. Born in Jerusalem, the Book of Ezekiel tells of his captivity in Babylon and his visions of the restoration of Jerusalem. That was circa 500 BC-something. We don’t know much about his biography, but we do know that his writings were important for Jews living away from their homeland – and thus forced to redefine their customs and worship practices.
In Hebrew, the name was Y’khizqel – God will strengthen. He’s Hizqil in the Qur’an and Haskel in Yiddish.
And while he’s not a baker by profession, his story includes a recipe for Ezekiel bread, said to be the nutritionally complete food the prophet lived off while in the desert. You can Google recipes, buy Ezekiel bread kits and even find Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted bread in the grocery store.
There was at least one more Ezekiel in the ancient world: second century poet Ezekiel the Tragedian.
The name wasn’t much used amongst English-speaking Christians until after the Reformation. Like Josiah and Zebulon, Ezekiel sounds like a likely appellation for a Puritan colonist or an American Revolutionary soldier. Indeed, Arthur Miller named one of his Salem witch hunt figures Ezekiel in The Crucible.
Many of the best known Ezekiels are famous in fiction. Craig T. Nelson is currently playing Parenthood patriarch Zeek on ABC. Jack Black voiced a sabre-toothed tiger answering to Zeke in the first Ice Age movie. The High School Musical franchise included Zeke Baylor, and Australian soap opera Neighbours includes teenager Zeke Kinski.
Interestingly, many a Zeke was not an Ezekiel at all, as in:
- Early 20th century race car driver Zeke Meyer, born Herman;
- Olympic medalist in wrestling Zeke Jones, born Larry;
- MLB alum Zeke Bonura, born Henry;
- Former NFL player Zeke Bratkowski, born Edmund.
If you’re looking for something just a little different, Ezekiel is a good choice, at least in 2010. Last year, around 1,500 newborn boys were called Ezekiel, and another 500 were given the Spanish variant, Ezequiel. Combine the two, and that’s still less than Ryder or Hudson, Oscar or George. But he is at his most popular since the US first reported rankings in 1880, and he could be headed straight into the Top 200.
And yet Ezekiel is likely to remain a distinctive choice, just as Ezra still sounds interesting, even as he becomes more familiar. If you’re heartbroken to learn that Isaac and Levi have both entered the Top 100, Ezekiel might be a great alternative.
Ezekiel is one of those “meh” names for me. I neither particularly like it or dislike it. However, I’m not much of a fan of “Zeke” (or any of its spelling variants). The nickname reminds me of when I was pre-teen and all my favourite names began with or prominantly featured those oh-so-cool letters/sounds J, K, and Z. I used them so much on my Barbies (etc!) that they feel dry and overdone now.
Zeke is alright, but Ezekiel is somehow a little much for me. I know, I think Zebedee is fine and Ezekiel is over the top and that might seem inconsistent, but so be it… it’s how the names strike me. If I met a little Ezekiel, I’d be happy. More interesting than another Luke or Max. If he was introduced as Ezekiel, with no nn offered, I’d think his parents were pretty religious.
Ezekiel and Zeke sound like an old coot from a Western TV show!
I am not a huge fan of some of these Biblical names with the harsh Z sound. Ezekiel is one of them. I really dislike Zeke too. I don’t like how it can rhyme with geek.
Zeke is the baby brother on ‘Sid the Science Kid’.
http://hdps.wikia.com/wiki/Zeke
I recently spotted two toddler Zekes at the local library. It did make me wonder if it was short for Ezekiel and if the parents were Christians.
I do like the name, though 4 syllables is a little long for my tastes, especially for a boy’s name. I do like the nickname Zeke though.
I like a lot of those Old Testement prophet names, like Malachi, Isaiah, Ezra, Elijah, and of course Ezekiel. I like a lot of Biblical names, though, so maybe that is why. Zeke is cute, too.
I don’t mind Zeke, even though he rhymes with some unflattering things. So does Luke, and he’s mega-popular. I think Zeke’s cute also. Zen could also be a nickname
I’m probably wrong, but Ezekiel seems really popular where I live. I’ve never met a little Ezra here, but there are Ezekiels all over the place. I live in a town that is over 70% Catholic and I bet Saint Ezekiel Moreno has something to do with the popularity.
Another fictional Ezekiel, is Walter Mosley’s “Easy” Rawlins.
I LOVE the name Zeke. I’m 6 mos pregnant with my 3rd child (first boy) and we’re naming him Zeke William! It’s a strong name with a beautiful meaning.
Congratulations on your baby-on-the-way, Sue! Zeke William is a nice balance of the unexpected and the classic. If you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to know what you called his big sisters?
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