Fun Facts About the Name Pesach
- 137 babies named Pesach: U.S. records list 137 babies given the name Pesach from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Pesach Mean?
Pesach is a Hebrew name meaning "Passover." It is the Hebrew noun Pesaḥ (פֶּסַח), the name of the festival that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. The noun is linked in the biblical text to the verb pasach (פָּסַח), "to pass over" or "to spare": in Exodus 12, the Israelites mark their doorposts so that the destroyer will pass over their houses. The literal sense is tied to the festival; later Jewish interpretation often reads Passover as a symbol of redemption and freedom, but that is a symbolic layer rather than the etymology. The exact origin of the noun is not certain. The biblical explanation is the traditional one, while some scholars treat it as a folk etymology and connect it instead with an Akkadian verb pasāḫu, "to appease" or "to soothe," or with a sense of protection. The established meaning of the name remains "Passover."
Pesach Name History & Origins
Pesach is the biblical name of the festival. It appears in Exodus 12:11, where the meal is called "the LORD's Passover," and the observance is described further in Exodus 12, Leviticus 23, and Deuteronomy 16. Through the Greek form Πάσχα (Pascha) and Latin Pascha, the same Hebrew word lies behind "Paschal" and the names for Easter in many Christian languages, but the direct Hebrew form Pesach remained the Jewish name for the festival.
As a personal name, Pesach is a holiday name rather than a name taken from a biblical figure: it is the Hebrew word for the festival used as a male given name in Jewish communities. In Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish-influenced pronunciation it is PAY-sakh; in Modern Hebrew it is PEH-sakh. The spelling reflects the Hebrew letter ḥet (ח), which is often transliterated ch in English. The name is sometimes written Pesah without the final c. It is used in Israel and in Jewish communities elsewhere.
How Popular is the Name Pesach?
Pesach 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 2017. Its best rank was #6,257 in 2017.
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 | #9,481 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #8,139 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #9,614 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #11,642 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #10,534 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #10,461 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #6,257 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #10,451 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #13,562 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #13,708 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #9,389 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #9,631 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #12,854 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #9,360 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #6,408 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #10,871 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,727 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #9,872 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #9,134 | 5 | 0.0002% |
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 Pesach Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
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.
✦ Pesach's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pesach's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.