Abraham
/ˈeɪ.brə.hæm/noun
A masculine given name from the Hebrew Bible, traditionally borne by the patriarch regarded as the ancestor of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, and other peoples.
Did you know?Genesis 17:5 presents Abraham’s renamed identity as a divine wordplay: his new name symbolizes the promised multitude of nations descended from him.
Etymological Timeline
2nd Millennium BCE
Hebrew
אַבְרָם (Avram)
““Abram,” traditionally interpreted as “exalted father” or “the father is exalted””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
אַבְרָהָם (Avraham)
““Abraham,” explained in Genesis as “father of a multitude,” though the exact historical formation is debated”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Ἀβραάμ (Abraam)
“Greek transliteration of the biblical Hebrew name”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Abraham
“Latin biblical form inherited from Greek and Hebrew tradition”
Old English
Old English
Abraham
“Biblical personal name used in Old English religious texts”
Modern English
English
Abraham
“A personal name, especially associated with the biblical patriarch and, later, Abraham Lincoln”