Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ezekiel

Ezekiel is a Biblical name borne by one of the Major Prophets from the Old Testament in a Book that bears his name. The name comes from the Hebrew words meaning ‘God strengthens’. Ezekiel is one of the prophets who lived through the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. At the time, Ezekiel was an upper-class Jew who had been exiled to Babylon under the direction of Nebuchadnezzar II. God appeared to Ezekiel on a chariot flown by some rather unusual creatures called cherubim; and He gives Ezekiel a scroll detailing the tragic events about to unfold for Jerusalem and commands him to eat it. Ezekiel obeys, thus swallowing the true word of God which he will go onto prophesize to the exiles (after God gives Ezekiel a ride back to Babylon on His flying machine). After the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel shares his vision for the “New Jerusalem” in Ezekiel 40-48 whereby the future Temple is enormous and God will dwell with the people of Israel forever. Ezekiel has come to be known as a Prophet to the Exiles, and an important prophet in Jewish tradition. The name was also taken up by the Puritans during the Reformation and spread to America by way of the new settlements.

All About the Baby Name – Ezekiel

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME EZEKIEL

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME EZEKIEL

The Hebrew name Ezekiel came to America centuries ago by the Puritans who first settled here. It was their particular fondness for lesser-known Biblical names that made Ezekiel mainstream among English-speaking countries. Also bolstering the name’s popularity are Jewish-Americans who pay particular homage to this prophet from the Hebrew Bible. In any case, the name Ezekiel was only used sparingly at the turn of the 20th century. By the time we reached the mid-1920s, the name retreated into the shadows altogether. Ezekiel is barely used between the years 1925 and 1975; for 50 straight years, this old Biblical name is basically forgotten. Enter the late 1970s when the name returns – not with a lot of fanfare – but this time it sticks to the charts and grows slowly and quietly. We can’t exactly call this a triumphant return, but it has reached a respectable position of #213 on the charts in 2010 (the highest point ever for this name). We also found it extremely interesting that Ezekiel is most popular in the state of Hawaii. Go figure. It’s ranked #21 most commonly used boy’s name in the Aloha State in 2010 (a remarkably high ranking). Maybe because it’s a cool name that sounds like a surfer boy. Especially the nickname Zeke. There are many reasons to like this name, including the rare four-syllable sound, the cool one-syllable pet form Zeke, the Jewish/Biblical importance, the one numerology association and the etymology suggesting that God will strengthen this child. For many different reasons, Ezekiel is a great choice for any little boy!

Quick Facts

ON EZEKIEL

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

186

PRONUNCIATION:

e-ZEE-kee-el

SIMPLE MEANING:

God strengthens

Characteristics

OF EZEKIEL

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ezekiel

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EZEKIEL

Ezekiel is a character from Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible. He was based on a real person from the early 18th century America. An astute yet weak character, Ezekiel appears in the Proctor household to denounce Elizabeth Proctor for witchcraft based upon a pin-driven doll which was placed in the Proctor house to incriminate Elizabeth against Abigail Williams. Formerly a friend of Elizabeth’s husband, John Proctor, Cheever quickly turns against his friends once the accusations started. A victim and perpetuator of “crowd-mentality” Cheever goes onto proverbially “hang” Proctor with tattle-tales of Proctor’s missing church and plowing on Sundays. This is a character that definitely depicts an over-zealous Puritan!

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EZEKIEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ezekiel


Popular Songs

ON EZEKIEL

Ezekiel
a song by Harry Belafonte

Famous People

NAMED EZEKIEL

Ezekiel (Major Prophet from the Bibe)
Ezekiel Hart (the first Jew to be elected to public office in the British Empire)
Ezekiel the Poet (Jewish dramatist from the 2nd century BC)
Ezekiel (Christian-based clothing company inspired predominantly by skate, surf, and snowboard culture)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EZEKIEL

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ezekiel

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EZEKIEL

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Ezekiel