Fun Facts About the Name Galilee
- 647 babies named Galilee: U.S. records list 647 babies given the name Galilee from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Galilee Mean?
Galilee is an English form of a Hebrew place name meaning "district" or "region." The Hebrew word is Galil (גָּלִיל), related to the root galal (גָּלַל), "to roll" or "to roll away," so the earlier sense may have been "circuit" or a rounded district. Greek Galilaia (Γαλιλαία) and Latin Galilaea are the forms through which the name reached English. It is not originally a personal name; as a given name it is a transferred use of the geographic name.
Because Galilee is a place name, its literal meaning is geographic rather than personal. Later Christian writers sometimes treated Galilee as a symbol of a borderland or of the Gentile world, but that symbolic reading is separate from the name's etymology.
Galilee Name History & Origins
Galilee is the English form of a regional name in the land of Israel. In the Hebrew Bible, the word galil can mean a district or circuit generally, and it appears in the phrase Galil ha-Goyim, "Galilee of the nations" or "Galilee of the Gentiles," in Isaiah 9:1 (Hebrew 8:23). By the Second Temple period, Galilee was a distinct northern region with a Jewish population. In the first century, Herod Antipas ruled Galilee as tetrarch. The New Testament places Jesus' childhood in Nazareth, his ministry around the Sea of Galilee, and several of his disciples' home towns - Capernaum and Bethsaida among them - in Galilee. Matthew's Gospel ends with the risen Jesus meeting his disciples in Galilee and giving them the Great Commission.
The name entered European languages through Greek Galilaia and Latin Galilaea; English Galilee follows these forms. As a personal given name, Galilee is a transferred use of the biblical place name.
How Popular is the Name Galilee?
Galilee has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #2,767 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,735 | 40 | 0.0025% |
| 2024 | #3,052 | 53 | 0.0033% |
| 2023 | #2,767 | 62 | 0.0039% |
| 2022 | #3,332 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 2021 | #3,898 | 38 | 0.0023% |
| 2020 | #3,515 | 43 | 0.0027% |
| 2019 | #3,412 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #3,264 | 49 | 0.0029% |
| 2017 | #6,123 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #3,541 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2015 | #5,351 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2014 | #4,578 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #7,895 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #6,959 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #6,413 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #8,031 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #12,841 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #8,260 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #9,751 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #10,858 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,886 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #9,264 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #16,311 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #12,496 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Galilee Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Galilee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Galilee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.