UK boy's name
Jehu
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "he is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is he".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2009. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jehu is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jehu popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2009 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3227, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 5 births.
This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2007 to 2009. 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 13 living people in the UK are called Jehu. 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 2010 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jehu ranked #3227 for boys in England and Wales in 2009, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 5 boys were registered as Jehu.
- • About 13 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jehu as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3227
2009
Births in 2009
5
Latest year
Peak year
2007
5 births
Estimated living
13
2026
Meaning
What does Jehu mean?
The name Jehu has its origins in ancient Hebrew. It was derived from the Hebrew verb root yāhāh, meaning "to be" or "to exist". The name itself means "Yahweh is He" or "He is Yahweh", referring to the Hebrew God. It first appeared in the Old Testament of the Bible, around the 9th century BCE.
One of the earliest and most notable bearers of the name was Jehu, a military commander who overthrew the House of Omri and became the king of Israel in the late 9th century BCE. His rise to power is described in the Second Book of Kings, where he is anointed by the prophet Elisha to destroy the House of Ahab.
The name Jehu continued to be used throughout Jewish history, though it was relatively rare. One notable bearer was Jehu ben Hanina, a 3rd-century CE Jewish sage and amora who is mentioned in the Talmud.
In the Middle Ages, the name Jehu appeared occasionally in Christian communities, particularly in Europe. One notable bearer was Jehu de Mayenne, a 13th-century French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Seventh Crusade.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained some popularity among Puritans and other Protestant groups who drew inspiration from the Old Testament. One notable bearer was Jehu Burr (1625-1692), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts.
In more recent history, the name Jehu has been borne by several notable figures, including Jehu Chevalier (1835-1901), a French-Canadian journalist and politician, and Jehu Pindling (1886-1932), a Bahamian politician and labour leader.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jehu over time
The chart below shows babies named Jehu registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2009. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jehu, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2009, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jehu by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jehu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3585 | 13 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Jehu
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jehu: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jehu in the UK right now?
In 2009, Jehu was ranked #3227 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Jehu most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 5 babies registered as Jehu in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jehu?
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "he is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is he".
How many people are called Jehu in the UK?
A total of 13 babies have been registered as Jehu 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.