The Old Testament baby name Ezra feels exactly right in the twenty-first century.
Thanks to Bo for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
GOOD
Turn on the radio in the spring of 1995 and you couldn’t avoid hearing this song:
Lookin’ around the house
Hidden behind the window and the door
Searchin’ for signs of life
But there’s nobody home
The song was called Good, and the artists were a previously little-known group formed back at Louisiana State University. Known as Better Than Ezra, their success quietly pushed the name back into the spotlight.
From 1994 to 1996, the name jumped nearly 150 places in the US rankings, and it’s yet to slow down.
As for where the band found the name? They’ve never said. But there’s no shortage of possibilities.
OLD TESTAMENT
The name appears in the Old Testament. He’s a poet and a scribe, a teacher and interpreter of Jewish law.
The name’s Biblical status explains why it’s remained in use over the ages.
An early president of Yale University wore the name, as did the founder of Cornell University.
It’s the first name of Fitch in Abercrombie & Fitch, too. Before the store peddled goods in shopping malls, it outfitted gentlemen adventurers.
But this name doesn’t seem scholarly or rugged. Instead, the baby name Ezra leans literary. That’s thanks to two other figures.
KEATS and POUND
Born in the wilds of Idaho when it was still just a territory, poet Ezra Pound spent much of his adult life in Europe. His poetry endures, though his political views – he supported Italy’s fascist regime during World War II – ensure that he’s forever controversial.
On a happier note, there’s the classic children’s book The Snowy Day. Celebrated author Ezra Jack Keats wrote and illustrated the enduring favorite. It’s even inspired US postage stamps.
A literary pedigree and an unusual sound – the razor-sharp z-r, the -a ending – put the baby name Ezra on the quirky classics list for years.
RISING FAVORITE
But as those children of the 90s started families of their own, the baby name Ezra continued to climb.
There’s well-known journalist Klein, one of the founders of the news site Vox.
Actor Ezra Miller has become a household name, thanks to turns in the Fantastic Beasts franchise and his role as The Flash in the DC Comics universe.
Grammy-winning musician and Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig adds another musical note to the name’s history.
Pretty Little Liars gave us Ezra Fitz.
Sound pushed this name higher, too. We’re all about a-ending boy names, with Noah a recent Top Ten choice, and other names like Luca and Isaiah very much in favor. That high-value Scrabble letter Z helps, too.
But there’s one other factor to consider.
BRIDGER
Disney’s animated series Star Wars Rebels takes place before A New Hope – the first Star Wars movie ever made – but after Revenge of the Sith. In the series, Ezra Bridger grows up an orphan. But he’s Force-sensitive – that is, a potential Jedi. He eventually joins up with a band of rebels as the Empire tightens its hold. Bridger proves himself a capable leader, though he struggles to use his power for good.
He’s a popular character, and the series has been a success. It first aired in 2014.
With Star Wars-inspired baby names feeling mainstream in recent years, the character has surely boosted the baby name Ezra even higher.
UNISEX?
As of 2018, 274 girls received the name Ezra – just enough to rank it inside the US Top 1000 for girls as well as boys.
Many names, from Biblical picks like Micah and Asa, to modern favorites like Jordan and Drew, have some history of use as unisex names across languages and cultures. That’s not the case for Ezra. Ezra as a girls’ name is new – though Ezra’s overall popularity is relatively new, too.
Given the overwhelming number of boys receiving the name, Ezra feels a little like Ryan or James for a girl – more of an exception, not a trend.
The Arabic feminine name Isra sounds similar, but has separate roots. And a female character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was named Ezri, which is a variant of Ezra, so that might also have some influence.
TOP 100 FAVORITE
Really, the only question remaining is how high will the baby name Ezra climb?
It cracked the Top 200 in 2012, entered the Top 100 by 2015, and is now more popular than ever before, with no signs of slowing down. As of 2018, the name ranked #59 – an all-time high.
What do you think of the baby name Ezra? Would you consider this name for a son?
Originally published on June 1, 2008, this post was revised on November 29, 2011, December 26, 2018, and June 8, 2020.
There is a culture that names their females Ezra. I think most of you are quite judgmental.
Agreed!
I absolutely love my sons name! he was born may 3 2011! Ezra to me is a boys name and it fits my son well! sooooooo in love with the name and he is my first boy yay
My daughter’s name is Ezra who is 4 and since she was born and still to this day I receive sooooo many compliments about her name. I belive the name can go both ways. 🙂
Hi, Val!
I, too, have a daughter named Ezra. I am an English major, and will soon be teaching Secondary School English – and I happen to have an unbreakable love for Ezra Pound. Aside from this connection to the name, I have Jewish ancestors and this was a way that I could honor them. Who cares if it has predominately been a “strong male” name? It was 2017 when I chose the name for my daughter. I get endless compliments. It suits her to her core. And the man that I am going to marry (whom I met two years after her birth) has an ancestral surname of “Ezra”. Are people going to now say the surname Ezra is inappropriate for females? Give me a break. It’s the 21st century, folks. If you can’t say something nice, get bent.
I have a baby boy due in one week and have been in love with the name Ezra since day one of pregnancy.
The only aggrivating thing is the popularity rising because of the show, Pretty Little Liars.
My heart almost broke when I mentioned the name to someone and they replied, “Like the show!” UGH. But I think I’m going to stick it out. I have considered Emerson instead, but love Ezra.
The reason why folks thinks Ezra is a girl’s name is because it sounds like a girl’s name. More and more girls are being named Ezra. I don’t understand why so many folks so vehemently and outspokenly seem to abhor Ezra as a girl’s name and then name their little girls things like Taylor, or Kelly, or Shawn.
I LOVE Ezra as a girl’s name!!!
Ezra’s 3 1/2 now, and I love his name even more today. Don’t tell my other kids, but his is the name I’m most content with.
The blogger Amalah has an Ezra and during his pregnancy she wrote a pregnancy calendar for Alphamom. Since both of the Ezras I know IRL where born shortly after Amalah’s, I’ve always wondered if their names were influenced by her column.
Ezra Jack Keats is one of my favorite picture books authors, he would make a wonderful namesake.
That’s a blog name that fascinates me! I discovered her when she started writing for Babble, but I just realized that’s she’s another Amy! She’s definitely popular enough to have encouraged a few people to consider Ezra … Now if Ike catches on, after the third son? We’ll know she’s a trendsetter!
I believe I’ve shared this story before, but I’ll do so again.
About a year ago my sister and I were at a cafe that caters to families with young children. We heard a mother calling her young son “Ezra!”, and my sister turned and asked me, the name nerd, whether Ezra was a popular name at present. I responded that, while not necessarily popular, it’s definitely on trend for boys, being both a name that begins with a vowel and an Old Testament name to boot. Later during the same day we headed over to a mall to do some shopping and once again came across a mother calling her young child “Ezra!”. The difference was that this time the kid in question was girl. I grinned at Emily and said something to the effect that I guess it’s on trend for both girls and boys.
I don’t personally know anyone with child, son or daughter, named Ezra, but I do have two friends with young kids named Azariah, one boy, one girl.
I understand that some parents, combing the Old Testament for names, might lament that there are far fewer girls’ names to be found than boys’, but when you look at names as a whole, there are so many more available girls’ names than boys’, it’s a shame that some of these strong-yet-lyrical boys’ names are going to the girls.
I had a crush on a boy named Ezra in high school and have loved the name ever since.
I absolutely love the name Ezra. However, this past summer my aunt had twin boys and named one Ezra, so the name is now off limits for me. Thankfully I’m a writer, so instead of mourning the loss of the name, I used it for my main characters’ son. 🙂
I see this name as firmly masculine, but several people my age (teens) seem to think it’s a girl’s name. I actually had an argument with a friend after my cousins were born over whether or not it was a boy’s name. Personally I think it’s just lack of knowledge that makes people think this. The popular mindset seems to be that any name ending in a vowel sound is a girl’s name, something I’d really like to see change.
Good point, Emily!
Though we only know one little Ezra, we do know two little girls, born about a week apart last year, both named Ezri. 🙁 maybe that’s where the confusion comes from…?