Girl · #11,156 in 2026

Gethsemane

Name: Popularity of the name Gethsemane in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Gethsemane, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Gethsemane is a garden as well as a courtyard at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus Christ underwent the Agony in the Garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. The garden is a place of great resonance in Christianity.

Current Rank

#11,156

Peak Rank

#8,613 (2018)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

2002

First Year

2023

Last Year

2018

Peak Year

#8613

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gethsemane

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

Gethsemane appears in the Greek original of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark as Γεθσημανή ( Gethsēmanḗ ). The name is derived from the Aramaic ܓܕܣܡܢ ( Gaḏ-Smān ), or Hebrew גַּת שְׁמָנִים ( gath shǝmānim ) meaning ' oil press '. Matthew 26:36 and Mark 14:32 call it χωρίον ( chōríon ), meaning a place or estate. The Gospel of John says Jesus entered a garden ( κῆπος , kêpos ) with his disciples.

Origin & history

The Garden of Gethsemane became a focal site for early Christian pilgrims . It was visited in 333 by the anonymous "Pilgrim of Bordeaux", whose Itinerarium Burdigalense is the earliest description left by a Christian traveler in the Holy Land. In his Onomasticon , Eusebius of Caesarea notes the site of Gethsemane located "at the foot of the Mount of Olives", and he adds that "the faithful were accustomed to go there to pray". Eight ancient olive trees growing in the Latin site of the garden may be 900 years old (see § Age of the olive trees ). In 1681, Croatian knights of the Holy Order of Jer

The Story of Gethsemane

Gethsemane first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2002, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 12 Gethsemanes were born — ranking #8,613 that year. As of 2026, Gethsemane ranks #11,156 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 84 Gethsemanes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Gethsemane

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gethsemane is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Gesehen
Gusman
Jessamine
Jessamyn
Gasman
Gassman
Ghislaine
Gosman
Gossman
Ghislain
Castlemaine
Guzman

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gethsemane

What does the name Gethsemane mean?

How popular is Gethsemane in 2026?

In 2026, Gethsemane ranks #11,156 among girls' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Gethsemane most popular?

Gethsemane reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #8,613 that year with 12 babies given the name.

Is Gethsemane a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Gethsemane is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Gethsemane?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gethsemane include Vala, Viviene, Anelle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Gethsemane

Gethsemane is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2002 and has accumulated 84 births in the dataset. Gethsemane's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #8,613. Use the chart and map above to compare Gethsemane's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.