Boy name · Hebrew
Obadiah
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: servant of GodObadiah is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "servant of God". It is used in English and Hebrew.
- Meaning
- Servant of God
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1630 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Obadiah
As a boy's name, Obadiah comes from Hebrew and means "servant of God". It is used in English and Hebrew.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Obadiah on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Obadiah on 3 lists.
“Servant of Yahweh; Hebrew. Author of the shortest Old Testament book”
From Biblical names, names of prophets and kings
“Servant of God; Hebrew. A minor prophet”
From Old man names, old fashioned Bible names for boys
“Servant of God; Hebrew, the shortest book of the Hebrew Bible”
From Unique boy names, uncommon biblical boy names
How popular is Obadiah?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,630
- 104 babies, 61 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,414 in 2024
- 131 babies that year
- Babies since 1914
- At least 2,521
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 2 per million |
| 1920s | 5 per million |
| 1930s | 4 per million |
| 1940s | 2 per million |
| 1950s | 2 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 9 per million |
| 1980s | 9 per million |
| 1990s | 10 per million |
| 2000s | 17 per million |
| 2010s | 43 per million |
| 2020s | 65 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,553 | #1,639 | #1,661 | #1,673 | #1,566 | #1,676 | #1,464 | #1,554 | #1,414 | #1,630 |
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.
Other forms of Obadiah
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AbdielServant of God (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AbdullahServant of God (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulazizServant of the Mighty (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulghaniServant of the All-Sufficient (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulhadiServant of the Guide (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulhakimServant of the Wise (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulhamidServant of the Praiseworthy (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulkarimServant of the Generous (Arabic, boy)
- AbdullatifServant of the Gentle (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulmajidServant of the Glorious (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulmalikServant of the King (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Obadiah
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Obadiah: common questions
What does the name Obadiah mean?
Obadiah comes from Hebrew and means "servant of God".
Is Obadiah a boy or girl name?
Obadiah is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Obadiah come from?
Obadiah comes from Hebrew and means "servant of God". Today it is used in English and Hebrew.
How popular is the name Obadiah?
Obadiah ranked #1,630 in the US in 2025, with 104 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Obadiah?
Forms of Obadiah with the same meaning and origin include Abdiel (Spanish).
What middle names go with Obadiah?
Middle names that flow well with Obadiah include Chase, Drake, Eli, Finn and Ford. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.