NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Adonai

A Hebrew name meaning "my Lord" or "master", used as a substitute for the unspoken name of God.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Adonai is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Adonai popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2088, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 17 births.

This profile covers 118 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 65% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 117 living people in the UK are called Adonai. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Adonai ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 17 boys were registered as Adonai.
  • About 117 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adonai as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 94.4% of Adonai registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2088

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

2019

17 births

Estimated living

117

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Adonai

In England and Wales birth records, Adonai has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 94.4% of registrations are for boys and 5.6% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

94% boys
Boys118 (94.4%)Girls7 (5.6%)

Adonai registered for boys

  • Ranked #2,088 in 2024
  • 11 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2019 (17 births)

Adonai registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,891 in 2024
  • 3 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2008 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Adonai mean?

The name Adonai has Hebrew origins and is derived from the Hebrew word "adon" which means "lord" or "master". It is considered a sacred name for God in the Hebrew Bible and in Judaism. The name Adonai is used as a substitute for the ineffable Hebrew name of God, which is written but not pronounced.

The earliest recorded use of Adonai as a reference to God dates back to the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE. In the Hebrew Bible, the name Adonai is used frequently, often in combination with other names for God, such as "Adonai Elohim" (Lord God).

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Adonai was Adonai ben David, a Jewish philosopher who lived in the 12th century CE in Provence, France. He was known for his teachings on Jewish mysticism and his commentary on the Torah.

Another notable individual with the name Adonai was Adonai Abravanel, a Jewish philosopher and statesman who lived in the 15th century CE in Spain and Italy. He was a prominent figure in the Jewish community and wrote extensively on Jewish philosophy and theology.

In the 16th century CE, Adonai Reuben was a Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived in Poland. He was known for his work on the Talmud and his commentaries on Jewish law.

In the 18th century, Adonai Isaac was a Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived in Germany. He was known for his work on Jewish mysticism and his commentaries on the Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah.

Finally, in the 19th century, Adonai Hirsch was a Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived in Germany. He was a prominent figure in the Jewish Enlightenment movement and was known for his efforts to promote Jewish education and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Adonai over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Adonai in England and Wales, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Adonai, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0491317200120122024

Decades

Adonai by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adonai was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3007 33 5
2010s #2692 76 9
2000s #2729 9 2

Related

Names similar to Adonai

FAQ

Adonai: questions and answers

How popular is the name Adonai in the UK right now?

In 2024, Adonai was ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Adonai most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 17 babies registered as Adonai in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Adonai?

A Hebrew name meaning "my Lord" or "master", used as a substitute for the unspoken name of God.

How many people are called Adonai in the UK?

A total of 118 babies have been registered as Adonai across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.