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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shemaiah

Shemaiah

♀ Girl

Pronounced shuh-MY-uh /ʃəˈmaɪ.ə/Medium

Meaning: From the Hebrew Shemaiah, 'the Lord hears' or 'heard by God.' In the Bible Shemaiah is a prophet who counsels King Rehoboam; the name is traditionally a boy's, so its use for a girl leans clearly against custom, which we note plainly. The prophet is named with respect.Low

In 30 seconds: A resonant three-beat name: Shemaiah means 'the Lord hears' in Hebrew (said 'shuh-MY-uh'). It is usually a boy's name, which we note plainly.
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Origin LowHebrew
MeaningFrom the Hebrew Shemaiah, 'the Lord hears' or 'heard by God.' In the Bible Shemaiah is a prophet who counsels King Rehoboam; the name is traditionally a boy's, so its use for a girl leans clearly against custom, which we note plainly. The prophet is named with respect.
U.S. rank (2023)#14903 ↘ Falling
2023 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2004
Total births (all-time)≈ 264

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200619792023

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Shemaiah is a Hebrew name, 'heard by the Lord,' borne by a biblical prophet. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; used here for a girl, it leans clearly cross-sex, which we note plainly (said 'shuh-MY-uh').

For girls it appears only in the rarest tier, against far heavier historical boys' use. Newly emerging for girls.

Did you know? Shemaiah means 'the Lord hears' in Hebrew; in the Bible he is a prophet who advises King Rehoboam. It is traditionally a boys' name, so its use for a girl runs against custom, which we note.
Overall data confidence 42%
References — Shemaiah — Hebrew 'the Lord hears'; biblical prophet; boy-leaning, handled respectfully

Variations

ShemayaShemayahShmaya

Nicknames

ShemMaya

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shemaiah…

Nehemiah— a like -iah Hebrew name Shemaiah joins
Isaiah— a like biblical -iah pick
Josiah— a like prophetic Hebrew name
Zephaniah— a like resonant -iah ending

Explore names like Shemaiah

By themehebrewbiblicalcross-sexkingboy-leaning

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shemaiah mean?

Shemaiah means 'the Lord hears' in Hebrew and belongs to a biblical prophet. It is traditionally a boys' name, which we note.

How do you pronounce Shemaiah?

It's said shuh-MY-uh /ʃəˈmaɪ.ə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Shemaiah a boy or girl name?

Traditionally Shemaiah is a boys' name — the name of a biblical prophet. Its use here for a girl runs clearly against custom, which we note plainly.

How popular is Shemaiah?

For girls Shemaiah is extremely rare in the U.S. and far more often a boys' name.

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