Fun Facts About the Name Jochebed
- 180 babies named Jochebed: U.S. records list 180 babies given the name Jochebed from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jochebed Mean?
Jochebed is a Hebrew name usually explained as "Yahweh is glory" or "the Lord is glory." It is built from two elements. The first is yo-, a shortened form of the divine name YHWH (Yahweh), the same element that begins Hebrew names such as Jonathan and Joel. These are called theophoric names because they carry a form of God's name. The second element is commonly identified with Hebrew kavod, meaning "glory," "honor," or "weight," so the whole name declares the glory or honor of Yahweh.
A related explanation connects the second element with kaved, "heavy" or "weighty," a word that in Hebrew also conveys the idea of honor and importance; on this reading the sense is much the same. Because the biblical name is written without vowels in the Hebrew consonantal text, the exact vocalization of the second element in the original name is not certain, and the two explanations cannot be fully separated.
Jochebed Name History & Origins
Jochebed is a biblical Hebrew name belonging to the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and the wife of Amram. She is named in the genealogies of Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59, not in the narrative of Moses' birth in Exodus 2, where the mother who hides her child is left unnamed. The two genealogical passages describe her descent differently: Exodus 6:20 speaks of Amram marrying his father's sister, which would make Jochebed his aunt, while Numbers 26:59 calls her a daughter of Levi born to him in Egypt, placing her in an earlier generation. This inconsistency is a familiar point in the study of the biblical genealogies.
The name passed into Greek and Latin scripture as Iōchabed in the Septuagint and Iochebed in the Vulgate, and the English spelling comes from those forms. In modern Hebrew it is written יוֹכֶבֶד and pronounced Yokheved. The name has remained rare in English-speaking countries and is encountered chiefly in religious settings and within Jewish communities; it is known to most English speakers through the Bible rather than through wide general use.
How Popular is the Name Jochebed?
Jochebed 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 2019. Its best rank was #7,513 in 2019.
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 | #7,656 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #9,183 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #12,731 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #10,009 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #9,222 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #10,644 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #7,513 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #7,937 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #9,604 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #10,434 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #10,456 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #9,822 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #13,825 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #10,799 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #15,878 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #15,358 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #12,516 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #12,482 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #9,576 | 6 | 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 Jochebed Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Jochebed's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jochebed's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.