Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Zeruiah

Zeruiah

♀ Girl

Pronounced zuh-ROO-yuh /zəˈruː.jə/Medium

Meaning: Zeruiah (Tseruyah) is a Hebrew biblical name usually glossed 'balm' or 'balsam of the Lord'. In the Hebrew Bible Zeruiah is the mother of Joab, Abishai and Asahel, and a sister of King David — her sons are named after her throughout the text, which is unusual and much discussed.Low

In 30 seconds: A rare biblical name: Zeruiah, the mother of Joab and sister of King David (said 'zuh-ROO-yuh'). Usually read as 'balm of the Lord'.
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumHebrew
MeaningZeruiah (Tseruyah) is a Hebrew biblical name usually glossed 'balm' or 'balsam of the Lord'. In the Hebrew Bible Zeruiah is the mother of Joab, Abishai and Asahel, and a sister of King David — her sons are named after her throughout the text, which is unusual and much discussed.
U.S. rank (2024)#17626 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 73

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202320062024

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

Zeruiah (Hebrew Tseruyah) appears in the books of Samuel and Chronicles as the mother of Joab, Abishai and Asahel — three of King David's fiercest commanders — and as David's sister. The name is usually glossed 'balm' or 'balsam of the Lord', though the reading is debated. As a modern given name it is very rare (said 'zuh-ROO-yuh').

In the U.S. it appears only very rarely for girls. Biblical, weighty, and unusual.

Did you know? Zeruiah is one of the very few women in the Hebrew Bible whose sons are consistently named after her — 'Joab son of Zeruiah' — rather than after their father, a detail scholars have long noted.
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Zeruiah — Hebrew Tseruyah; biblical mother of Joab; gloss 'balm of the Lord' debated

Variations

TseruyahZeruiaSeruiah

Nicknames

ZeruRuyaZee

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Zeruiah…

Keziah— a like rare biblical girls' name
Abigail— another sister of David's story
Jerusha— a similar Old Testament rarity
Adaliah— a like flowing Hebrew-rooted pick

Explore names like Zeruiah

By themehebrewbiblicalrarehistoric
By meaningGod / DivineRoyal / Noble

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Zeruiah mean?

Zeruiah is Hebrew, usually glossed 'balm' or 'balsam of the Lord'; the reading is debated, which we note.

How do you pronounce Zeruiah?

It's said zuh-ROO-yuh /zəˈruː.jə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Zeruiah a boy or girl name?

Zeruiah is a girl's name; in the Bible she is the mother of Joab and a sister of King David.

How popular is Zeruiah?

Zeruiah is very rare and newly emerging for girls in the U.S.

💬 Ask Nia