Hephzibah
Hephzibah Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
/ˈhɛf.zɪ.bə/
Meaning of Hephzibah: Hephzibah is a Hebrew feminine name derived from Cheftzibah (חֶפְצִי-בָה), meaning my delight is in her or she is my desire. The name expresses deep affection — the speaker's deepest desire residing in the named person, making it one of the most intimate and poetic names in the Hebrew Bible.
The root chefetz in Hebrew means desire, pleasure, or delight. As a personal name, Hephzibah expresses the sense that God's delight is in the named person — a theologically significant statement about divine favor, used in the prophetic literature to describe the restored Jerusalem.
In the Hebrew Bible, Hephzibah appears in two contexts. In 2 Kings 21:1, she is the mother of King Manasseh and wife of King Hezekiah. In Isaiah 62:4, the name is given prophetically to restored Jerusalem: 'You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, but you shall be called Hephzibah.'
What Does Hephzibah Mean? Origin & Etymology
The Isaiah passage gives Hephzibah its most spiritually resonant meaning — a name of divine renewal and the restoration of intimacy between God and his people after judgment. This prophetic use made the name significant in Puritan and evangelical naming traditions that drew heavily on Old Testament vocabulary.
Hephzibah was used among English Puritans and their descendants in the 17th and 18th centuries, when biblical names were favored as expressions of faith. The name Hephzibah Wood was borne by a character in George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss, reflecting its 19th-century literary presence.
Hephzibah does not rank in US SSA records. It is used rarely in deeply religious communities honoring the Old Testament. The name carries prophetic associations from Isaiah 62:4 and the Puritan naming tradition. Reference: etymology records.
Numerology & Symbolism of Hephzibah
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Hephzibah – Similar Names & Alternatives
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity
Frequently Asked Questions about Hephzibah
What does Hephzibah mean?
How popular is Hephzibah?
Hephzibah is rarely used in the United States but maintains its standing in Biblical. SSA records show no significant US ranking for this name.
How do you pronounce Hephzibah?
Hephzibah is pronounced /ˈhɛf.zɪ.bə/. The name originates in Biblical tradition.
What are variants of Hephzibah?
Hephzibah has related forms in other languages: Cheftzi-vah (Biblical Hebrew), Eppie (English). These variants all share the same root and meaning.