Obadiah

Obadiah - A very unique male name

Obadiah appeared on the charts for the first time in 1996 on position #3433. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Obadiah and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Obadiah? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Obadiah. The baby boy name Obadiah was given to 52 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1683 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 28,198 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Obadiah peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 1429.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Obadiah, 1-5?

Obadiah is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Obadiah is currently topping the baby name charts in Indiana at position #824 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,390.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Obadiah is where you live.

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Obadiah origin and meaning

Hebrew (Biblical)

'Servant of Yahweh' — from Hebrew obed, 'servant, worshipper,' and Yah, God

Obadiah is the name of the shortest book of the Old Testament, a prophetic book whose author is otherwise unknown, and of several other biblical figures. The name means servant or worshipper of God. In the US it has been used since 1996 in this data at low levels, mostly in religious families drawn to its gravity.

Attested etymology

Obadiah is a 7 letter name with 4 syllables.

To see famous people named Obadiah, pop culture references for the name Obadiah and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Obadiah

We've found the following names that sound similar to Obadiah, sorted by popularity.

Obed / Ovidio / Ovadia / Ovide / Oved /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Obadiah

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Obadiah a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Obadiah?

4 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

oh-bah-DY-uh · /oʊbəˈdaɪə/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: Obie

Famous bearers

• Obadiah — Prophet to whom the Book of Obadiah is attributed (Biblical) Historical

Style

Biblical

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Obadiah for weighty Old Testament character and the friendly nickname Obie inside it.

Worth knowing

• It is a big, formal name for a small child, and some will associate it mainly with stern Puritan imagery.