Name of the Day: Hezekiah

If you've never heard this name before, you might be surprised to learn that as of 2013, this name is #889. Not overwhelming high, but for a name of little known significance and obscurity in the Bible (as opposed to names like Noah and Jacob) in a more secular world, it can be surprising that Hezekiah even made the top SSA 1000 and has been in it consecutively since 2006. What makes the name Hezekiah so appealing to parents these days?

Etymology

The Hebrew name חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ , which was trascribed as Hezekiah, or sometimes Ḥizkiyyahu or Ḥizkiyyah, is of Hebrew origins. The name stems from the verb root חַזֵּק "strengthen",  הַחֲזֵק "seize", הִתְחַזֵּק "take courage". As a noun, the root חֶזְקָה means "strength" or חֲזָקָה "seizing". The root חָזֵק as an adjective means "strong." Generally, the name mostly likely means something along the lines of "strengthened by YHWH" or "God gives me strength." 



López, Vincente. King Hezekiah Flaunting His Wealth. 1789. Museu De Belles Artes De València, Valencia. Delling in the Word. WordPress, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.


The first recorded use of Hezekiah was in the 2 Kings in the Bible. His mother was Abijah (also called Abi), daughter of the high priest Zechariah, and his father was Ahaz, king of Judah and descendant of King David. When his father died, Hezekiah inherited the throne and became king at the age of 25. He ruled over Jerusalem for 29 years [2 Kings 18]. In accordance with David, he was faithful to the Lord. Hezekiah destroyed pagan places of worship and images of gods and goddess. He repaired the Temple as a his first act as king and then destroyed idolatrous worship. Because of his reign, Passover pilgrimages resumed, and he invited all the tribes of Israel to take part in the Passover festival. However, all but the tribes of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun refused to come. Hezekiah is one of the few kings praised highly and is generally considered a good and just king. He married Hepzibah. 

Namesakes

Other famous bearers of this name include Hezekiah, American rapper and producer born Hezekiah Davis III in Pennsylvania, Hezekiah Niles, an American publisher of Balitmore weekly magazine Weekly Register in the nineteenth-century, and Chaim Hezekiah Medini, a rabbinical scholar also of the nineteenth century.

When the US government began recording the popularity of names, Hezekiah made the cut at #588 in 1880 and hit its peak at #436 in 1891. After that, it began to decrease after 1924, when it dropped completely out of the Top 1000. The name didn't come back into style until 2006. In the UK and Australia, Hezekiah has never received quite the same love as it has in this country, never even making the top lists. 

International variants of Hezekiah: Ezekia (Albanian), Ezechiáš (Czech), Hizkiha (Danish), Hizkia (Dutch), Hiskia (German, Finnish, Swedish), Ézéchias (French), Ezekyas (Hatian Creole), Ezékiás (Hungarian), Ezechia (Italian, Romanian), Hiskía (Icelandic), Ezechias (Latin), Hetekia (Maori), Eskias (Norwegian), Ezequias (Portuguese), Ezequías (Spanish)

Nickname Options:

Zeke, usually considered the nickname for the important prophet Ezekiel, a related name of a similar meaning ("God strengthens"), and a popular alternative to the trendy Zack. End-of-the-alphabet names are all the rage as of right now. Currently Zeke stands at #858 in the US but has only been in the charts since 2012. People like Zeke Moreno and Zeke Steggall have made the name more mainstream. With many parents feeling Zeke as a tired nickname for Ezekiel, could Zeke be revamped with Hezekiah? 

Kiah, never having quite the same popularity as Zeke, Kiah is an older nickname more popular during Puritan and colonial times. It is also a nickname for Zedekiah, an even rarer Biblical name. Kiah is a zippy but still substantial nickname for Hezekiah. Its a distinctive choice with an effeminate flare.

Other options include Easy, Hez, Hezie, Kai, Key, Kez, and Ky. 

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Hosea, Amos, Zephaniah, Amedeo, Keziah, Winifred, Johanna, Elisheba


Another beautifully quirky name that is becoming more mainstream. If you are looking for an offbeat-sounding name that has historic meaning, a name that is familiar without being overused, or a name that hosts an interesting collection of nicknames, Hezekiah might be one to keep in mind.