Uriyah

Meaning & origin

Uriyah is a modern spelling variant of the ancient biblical name Uriah, which appears in the Hebrew Bible as the name of a Hittite soldier married to Bathsheba. The name entered U.S. baby name records in 2007 and reached its peak popularity in 2017. Since then, its usage has been falling. Currently ranked 5,608 (approximately 1 in 106,755 births), Uriyah is given sparingly, reflecting the appeal of distinctive biblical alternatives with 'yah' endings. The name has not yet broken into any state popularity lists, indicating its usage is spread thinly across the country. As a variant, it offers a slightly softer, more contemporary feel compared to the traditional Uriah, and continues the trend of reviving and reshaping Old Testament names.

Uriyah is a modern English variant of the biblical name Uriah, which comes from the Hebrew אוּרִיָּה (Uriyah), meaning "my light is Yahweh." In the Hebrew Bible, Uriah the Hittite was a soldier and the husband of Bathsheba. The variant spelling with a 'y' is a contemporary adaptation, often chosen to give a more distinctive or feminized feel while retaining the original name's meaning.