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Gender
Masculine
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Origin of the Name Abraham
Hebrew
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Usage of the Name Abraham
Jewish, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Polish, Croatian, Biblical
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Meaning of the Name Abraham
The name Abraham comes from the Hebrew name Avraham which is of unclear derivation. It is traditionally explained as "father of a multitude" or "father of many [nations]", being derived from the Hebrew expression "av hamon [goyim]" (Genesis 17:5).
Abraham was originally named Abram (literally "high father" in Hebrew), but God changed his name to Abraham when he accepted the monotheistic concept (the concept of one God).
Abraham is considered the first Hebrew. He had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.
Through the line of Isaac, Jews consider Abraham to be the father of the Israelites, and Christians believe him to be Jesus' ancestor. Through the line of Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, Muslims consider Abraham to be a prophet and Muhammad's ancestor.
Thus because Judaism, Christianity and Islam can all be traced back to Abraham, they are called the Abrahamic religions.
Abraham has always been popular as a Jewish name. As a Christian name it has been in use since the 16th century (after the Protestant Reformation), being especially popular among the Puritans.
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Interesting Facts about Abraham
- Based on the biblical Abraham, Abraham's bosom is a term for heaven, and Abraham's balm refers to the Verbena plant family.
- The most famous literary Abraham is Professor Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula, whom the author named after himself.
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Famous Bearers
Bearers of the name include Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089 - 1164), a Jewish rabbi, poet, writer, astrologer, and philosopher;
Abraham Ortelius (1527 - 1598), a Belgian geographer and cartographer;
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), the 16th President of the United States (1861 - 1865);
Abraham Geiger (1810 - 1874), a German rabbi;
Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847 - 1912), an Irish writer;
Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1970), an American psychologist.
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Names Related to Abraham
List of names related to Abraham.
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