Naomi

In the Old Testament, Ruth married a man and had sons, all of whom died suddenly. She then followed her mother-in-law to a new land, where she remarried. As many Jews and Christians know, Ruth's mother-in-law had the name of Naomi.

Naomi is a Hebrew name meaning "pleasantness," which coincidentally describes Ruth's relationship with her; following her mother-in-law led to a better life. Because of the Biblical figure, Naomi has long been a popular choice among Jews. As with many Biblical names, though, Naomi has yet to become a common name among English-speaking Christians.

Naomi entered widespread English-speaking use around the Protestant Reformation, which established the Bible as the sole source of authority from God. It appeared in the England top 100 in the early Victorian era, but it dropped out by 1860. Naomi remained a top 200 choice into 1900.

As an American name, Naomi has ranked among the top 400 most years since 1880. It was a top 200 choice between 1893 and 1941 before hitting its low point at #419 in 1969. Naomi has gone through a revival since then. It not only returned to the top 200, but Naomi also made the top 100 for the first time in 2010. This makes Naomi a "J-shaped" revival: a name that came back more popular than before.

Naomi is also popular in Canada along with having ranked among the Australian and New Zealand top 100 in the late twentieth century. Beyond the English-speaking world, Naomi is used in Belgium, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland. Even though it is unknown whether or not Naomi is used in Japan, it also has Japanese origins. This makes Naomi one of the best cross-cultural choices.

Overall, with centuries of use, Naomi makes for a timeless classic that is much more interesting than Elizabeth or Mary. Perhaps this is why Naomi is still on the rise. 

VARIANTS:

Noemi

STYLES:

Biblical, Timeless

SISTERS:

Leah, Delilah, Vivian, Juliet, Susannah, Eve, Abigail, Phoebe

BROTHERS:

Asher, Noah, Elijah, Simeon, Isaac, Reuben, Gabriel, Levi

ALTERNATIVES:

Corinne, Hope, Johanna, Miriam, Naama, Nayeli, Salome, Simone

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Naomi." Names, Behind the Name, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/naomi-1. 

Sandel, Abby. "Baby Name Naomi: Lovely and Noble." Appellation Mountain, 7 Jun. 2020, https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-naomi/. 

What do you think about Naomi?