Obadiah
Boy name · #1624 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Obadiah? In official American birth records, Obadiah has been tracked continuously since 1914, giving it 111 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Obadiah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". 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
State-level data for Obadiah is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Obadiah?
In official American birth records, the name Obadiah first appeared in 1914 (over 111 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 111 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.