UK boy's name
Gedalya
A masculine name from Hebrew meaning "YHWH is great/exalted".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gedalya is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gedalya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3334, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 5 births.
This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2013 to 2020. 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.
Gedalya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Gedalya. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gedalya ranked #3334 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 5 boys were registered as Gedalya.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gedalya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3334
2020
Births in 2020
5
Latest year
Peak year
2020
5 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Gedalya mean?
The name Gedalya originates from the Hebrew language and has its roots in ancient Jewish culture. It is derived from the Hebrew name "Gedalyahu," which means "Yahweh is great." The name can be traced back to biblical times, with the earliest recorded mention appearing in the Book of Jeremiah.
In the Book of Jeremiah, Gedalya is the name of a prominent Jewish leader who was appointed as the governor of Judah by the Babylonians after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. This historical figure played a crucial role in the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest, attempting to maintain order and stability among the remaining Jewish population.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Gedalya was Gedalya ben Ahikam, the aforementioned governor of Judah during the Babylonian period. He was assassinated in 586 BCE, an event that is recorded in the Book of Jeremiah.
Throughout Jewish history, the name Gedalya has been associated with various prominent figures. One notable example is Gedalya ibn Yahya, a renowned 11th-century Jewish philosopher and poet from Spain, who was born in 1038 CE and died in 1096 CE.
Another influential figure with the name Gedalya was Gedalya Lipkin Salanter, a prominent 19th-century Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder of the Musar movement, a ethical and spiritual revival movement within Orthodox Judaism. He was born in 1796 and passed away in 1879.
In more recent times, Gedalya Shahor, an Israeli author and playwright, gained recognition for his works exploring Jewish identity and the experiences of immigrants in Israel. He was born in 1939 and died in 2012.
Gedalya Aharon, an influential Israeli rabbi and scholar, was also a notable figure. Born in 1910 and passing away in 2011, he was known for his vast knowledge of Jewish law and his contributions to the field of Talmudic studies.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the name Gedalya throughout history, highlighting its rich heritage and significance within the Jewish tradition.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gedalya over time
The chart below shows babies named Gedalya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gedalya, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2020, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gedalya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gedalya 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 | #3334 | 5 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4262 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Gedalya
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gedalya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gedalya in the UK right now?
In 2020, Gedalya was ranked #3334 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Gedalya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 5 babies registered as Gedalya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gedalya?
A masculine name from Hebrew meaning "YHWH is great/exalted".
How many people are called Gedalya in the UK?
A total of 12 babies have been registered as Gedalya across the 3 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.