Girl name · English
Ebony
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: black woodEbony is a girl's name that comes from English and means "black wood". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Black wood
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #5452 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ebony
As a girl's name, Ebony comes from English and means "black wood". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Ebony on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ebony on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ebony on 5 lists.
“A dense, dark hardwood used for piano keys”
From Black cat names, black gemstone and material names
“A dense black wood”
From Black dog names, the black dog names most people use
“Dark hardwood; English word name. Polished, deep and elegant”
From Gothic names, names that mean dark, night or raven
“Deep black and polished”
From Horse names, horse names by coat color and markings
“Black wood; English, from the dark tropical timber”
From Names that mean shadow, girl names that mean shadow or darkness
How popular is Ebony?
- US rank in 2025
- #5,452
- 23 babies, 14 per million girls
- Best rank
- #132 in 1982
- 2,279 babies that year
- Babies since 1950
- At least 38,998
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 433 per million |
| 1980s | 1,063 per million |
| 1990s | 565 per million |
| 2000s | 158 per million |
| 2010s | 42 per million |
| 2020s | 16 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,546 | #3,355 | #3,449 | #3,946 | #4,575 | #4,270 | #4,829 | #6,235 | #5,495 | #5,452 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- MelaniaBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- MelanieBlack, dark (Greek, girl)
- AdhamBlack, dark (Arabic, boy)
- BerkeleyBirch wood (Old English, unisex)
- BlakeFrom a surname meaning black or pale (Old English, unisex)
- CharnaBlack (Yiddish, girl)
- CiarBlack, dark (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ElwoodElder tree wood (Old English, boy)
- JettJet black stone (English, unisex)
- KaliThe black one (Sanskrit, unisex)
Middle names for Ebony
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- FrancesFrenchwoman, from France (Latin, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- MagnoliaFlower named for botanist Pierre Magnol (French, girl)
- PhilippaLover of horses (Greek, girl)
- PrimroseFirst rose (Latin, girl)
- UndineWave (Latin, girl)
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
Ebony: common questions
What does the name Ebony mean?
Ebony comes from English and means "black wood".
Is Ebony a boy or girl name?
Ebony is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ebony come from?
Ebony comes from English and means "black wood". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Ebony?
Ebony ranked #5,452 in the US in 2025, with 23 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Ebony?
Middle names that flow well with Ebony include Alexandra, Blair, Frances, Heather and Magnolia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.