If you’re looking for a name that isn’t especially common, yet is a strong, time-honored name for a boy, Ezra is a worthy choice.

The name Ezra has gained popularity in recent years, becoming one of the top 100 boy names in the U.S. for the first time in 2015. Based on the U.S. Social Security Administration’s 2020 baby name ranking, Ezra is the 44th most popular baby boy name in the country. Though it is becoming steadily more popular, you probably won’t have to worry about your child having two or three other Ezras in their class.

Name Variations

As the Bible has been translated into about 700 languages, there are multiple forms of the name Ezra. Greek and Latin editions of the Bible use the form Esdras. The Q’uran, written in Arabic, refers to the biblical Ezra as Uzair. Other variations of the name Ezra include:

AzraEsraEsrahEzeraEzrah

Similar Names

Esra is sometimes seen as a variant spelling of Ezra; however, Esra is also a common feminine name in Turkey, derived from an Arabic word meaning “traveler at night.” The name Eleazar comes from the Hebrew El (God) plus the same Hebrew word azar (helper) from which Ezra is derived. Other boy names starting with E:

EdgarEdisonEduardoEliElijahElvinEmmetEnderEricEvanEwanEzekiel

Other boy names from the Old Testament:

Adam Benjamin David Ephraim Ira Jonah Jordan Levi Nathan Noah Reuben Samson Samuel

Suggested Sibling Names

Alexander Gideon Jesse Milo Oliver Peter Simon Abigail Hannah Joanna Naomi Rebecca Ruth Sarah Sasha

Famous People Named Ezra

Ezra Ames, American portrait painter of the 17th and 18th centuriesEzra Taft Benson, a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and president of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) ChurchEzra Butler, American clergyman, lawyer, judge, and the 11th governor of VermontEzra Cline, American bluegrass musician, member of the Lonesome Pine FiddlersEzra Cornell, American businessman and co-founder of Cornell UniversityEzra Dean, U.S. representative from OhioEzra Fitch, American businessman, co-founder of Abercrombie & FitchEzra Bartlett French, U.S. representative from MaineEzra Furman, American songwriter and musicianEzra Jack Keats, American author and illustrator, known for picture books such as “A Snowy Day” and “Peter’s Chair"Ezra Kendall, American actor, comedian, and authorEzra Klein, American blogger and political journalist, co-founder of the website VoxEzra Manning Meeker, American pioneerEzra Miller, American actor, known for playing Credence Barebone in the “Fantastic Beasts” film series, and the Flash/Barry Allen in “Justice League"Ezra Nawi, Israeli peace activistEzra T. Newman, American physicist, known for his contributions to general relativity theoryEzra Pound, American poet, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movementEzra Solomon, American economist, member of the Council of Economic Advisors under President NixonEzra Stiles, American educator and president of Yale CollegeEzra Stoller, American architectural photographerEzra Vogel, American scholar of East Asia

Here’s an additional fun fact: The American alt-rock band Better Than Ezra derived its name from a line in Ernest Hemingway’s memoir “A Moveable Feast” which states “…no worse than other noises, certainly better than Ezra learning to play the bassoon.”

Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names How to Choose a Name for Your Baby 300 Baby Names Ending in A, N, and Y