Eitan

Eitan and Eytan (אֵיתָן) are the Hebrew forms of the anglicized Ethan, an ancient Biblical name of Hebrew origin which appears a few obscure times throughout the Old Testament; most often, however, he’s identified as a wise man whom Solomon surpasses in wisdom (1 Kings 4:31). The authorship of Psalm 89 is also attributed to Eitan the Ezrahite (“I Will Sing of the Steadfast Love of the Lord”); and Eitan appears four or five times on genealogy lists in the Book of Chronicles. The name (אֵיתָן) in Hebrew means “firm” as in “sturdy, enduring, long-lived”. Despite Eitan's somewhat obscure place in the Bible, the Puritans adopted the name as Ethan around the 17th century after the Protestant Reformation. It was the naming practice of the religiously strict Puritans to bestow lesser-known Biblical names on their children as an act of modesty. They then brought these names (e.g., Ethan, Malachi, Micah, Jedidiah, etc) to the New World (i.e., America). Later in American history – during the 18th century American Revolution – patriot and war hero Ethan Allen made a name for himself as the leader of the “Green Mountain Boys”. His written accounts of his exploits were popular in the 19th century and the name enjoyed revival interest. Today, in 21st century America, parents are once again flocking in droves to the name Ethan as a top choice for their baby boys. Given Ethan's super-popularity in the English speaking world right now, we figured we'd see Eitan on the charts of Israel, but we don't.