Obadiah
Boy name · #1624 in 2025 · Uniqueness 69/100
Obadiah ranks #1624 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 104 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1677, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,308 boys born in 2025 was named Obadiah.
Babies named Obadiah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 111-year story
Obadiah first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 131 babies and a rank of #1413. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Obadiah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Obadiah in class?
Obadiah scores 69 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Obadiah will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Obadiah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Obadiah is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Obadiahs were TX (14), OH (9), IN (7), CA (6), MI (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Obadiah
Statistically, parents drawn to Obadiah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jessiah, Benaiah, Jeriah, Oziah, and Uzziah.
JessiahBenaiahJeriahOziahUzziahMassiahMasiahMicaiah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Obadiah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 104 | #1621 |
| 2024 | 131 | #1413 |
| 2023 | 113 | #1547 |
| 2022 | 124 | #1457 |
| 2021 | 99 | #1667 |
| 2020 | 105 | #1563 |
| 2019 | 96 | #1670 |
| 2018 | 97 | #1657 |
| 2017 | 97 | #1630 |
| 2016 | 107 | #1548 |
| 2015 | 93 | #1677 |
| 2014 | 72 | #1979 |
| 2013 | 69 | #1989 |
| 2012 | 69 | #2016 |
| 2011 | 54 | #2346 |
| 2010 | 56 | #2287 |
| 2009 | 53 | #2401 |
| 2008 | 33 | #3344 |
| 2007 | 37 | #3090 |
| 2006 | 41 | #2784 |
| 2005 | 36 | #2902 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3534 |
| 2003 | 30 | #3119 |
| 2002 | 29 | #3095 |
| 2001 | 26 | #3321 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Obadiah a popular boy name?
Obadiah ranked #1624 among boys in 2025 with 104 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1677.
When was the name Obadiah most popular?
Obadiah peaked in 2024, when 131 American boys received the name (ranked #1413 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Obadiah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,308 newborn American boys was named Obadiah. It scores 69/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.