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Jeremy

♂ Boy

Pronounced JAIR-uh-mee /ˈdʒɛr.ə.mi/High

Meaning: God will exalt; God will uplift; English form of Jeremiah, from Hebrew Yirmeyahu: yirme (may God exalt) + yah (God)High

In 30 seconds: The English form of Jeremiah, the Hebrew name meaning 'God will exalt.' Softer and shorter than Jeremiah, Jeremy enjoyed massive popularity in the United States from the 1960s to the 1990s.
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningGod will exalt; God will uplift; English form of Jeremiah, from Hebrew Yirmeyahu: yirme (may God exalt) + yah (God)
Peak year1977
Total births (all-time)≈ 434,246

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197719232017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Jeremy is the English form of Jeremiah, derived from Hebrew יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu), composed of yirmeh ('may God lift up, may God exalt') and Yah (a short form of Yahweh). Jeremiah was one of the major Hebrew prophets, author of the Book of Jeremiah. The shorter English form Jeremy developed in the Middle Ages.

Jeremy was a top-20 U.S. boys' name from the 1960s through the early 1990s, peak popularity around the mid-1970s. It has declined significantly since but remains a recognized classic. The Pearl Jam song 'Jeremy' (1991) and comedian Jeremy Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) have maintained cultural visibility for the name.

Did you know? The name Jeremy was the #10 U.S. boys' name in 1974 — the same year Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was born as Edward Louis Severson III. Vedder later wrote the famous 1991 song 'Jeremy' about a tragic real event.

Variations

JeremiahJeremieJerry

Nicknames

JerJerryJem

Famous Bearers

  • ★Jeremy Irons (b. 1948)
    British actor and Academy Award winner for <em>Reversal of Fortune</em>.

If you like Jeremy…

Nathaniel— three-syllable biblical classic with the same 1970s American peak
Jeremiah— the full formal version of the same name
Timothy— three-syllable New Testament name that peaked in the same era
Jonathan— long Old Testament name equally popular in the same generation

Frequently Asked

What does the name Jeremy mean?

Jeremy means 'God will exalt,' as the English form of Jeremiah, from Hebrew yirmeh (may God exalt) and Yah (God).

How do you pronounce Jeremy?

Jeremy is pronounced JAIR-uh-mee (/ˈdʒɛr.ə.mi/) — three syllables with stress on the first.

Is Jeremy a boy or girl name?

Jeremy is used almost exclusively as a boy's name.

How popular is Jeremy?

Jeremy was a top-10 U.S. boys' name in the 1970s and has declined since but remains in the top 300 today.