Rebecca is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rebecca means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rebecca across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rebecca has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rebecca is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, traditionally to bind or join”. the wife of Isaac in the Bible.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 758,106 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 45,646 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 13,678 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,788 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 11,293 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 11,608 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rebecca per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1981 (16,801/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (5,828/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1994 (758/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1997 (525/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (297/yr).
Rebecca has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1981, when it ranked #39 nationally (given to 17,077 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Rebekah · Rebeca · Rebeccah · Rebbecca · Rebecka · Rebeka · Rebekka · Rebekkah
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