Jethro
Jethro is a male given name meaning "excellence". It is derived from the Hebrew word Yithrô.
Meaning & Origin of Jethro
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jethro is a male given name meaning "excellence". It is derived from the Hebrew word Yithrô.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Jethro
Jethro first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1893, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 216 Jethros were born — ranking #1,029 that year. As of 2026, Jethro ranks #1,029 for baby boys with 216 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 5K Jethros have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Jethro
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jethro is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jethro
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About the name Jethro
Jethro is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1893 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Jethro's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #857. Use the chart and map above to compare Jethro's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
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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.