Fun Facts About the Name Naomi
- A newer favorite: Naomi first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2010 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 16 consecutive years.
- More than 191 thousand babies named Naomi: U.S. records list 191,786 babies given the name Naomi from 1880 through 2025. Even 290 boys received the name Naomi - about 1 boy for every 660 girls.
What Does the Name Naomi Mean?
Naomi is a Hebrew name meaning 'my pleasantness' or 'pleasantness.' It comes from the Hebrew root n-ʿ-m (נעם), which carries the sense of being pleasant, lovely, or delightful. The biblical form is נָעֳמִי (Naʿomi); the ending -i is a first-person possessive suffix, so the literal sense is 'my pleasantness.' In the Hebrew Bible, Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth. A separate Japanese name romanized as Naomi is unrelated to the Hebrew name; it is written with various kanji, so its meaning depends on the characters chosen, as in 直美 (nao 'straight, honest' + mi 'beauty').
Naomi Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name Naomi appears in the Book of Ruth, where Naomi is the wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth. The story is set during the period of the judges. After famine drives the family from Bethlehem to Moab, Naomi loses her husband and two sons. She returns to Bethlehem with Ruth and tells the women not to call her Naomi but Mara, for she feels that God has dealt bitterly with her (Ruth 1:20). The book closes by tracing the line from Ruth and Boaz to Obed, Jesse, and David; the women of Bethlehem say that a son has been born to Naomi, and the line leads to King David. In Jewish tradition, the Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot.
The name entered Christian use through Latin and vernacular translations of the Bible. In English, it appears in the King James Version of 1611 and later translations. In the English-speaking world, Naomi came into use as a given name after the Reformation, as Protestant families increasingly chose Old Testament names. It has remained especially common as a Jewish given name and is also used by non-Jewish families in Britain, the United States, and other English-speaking countries.
The Japanese name Naomi developed independently. It is usually written with two kanji, and different combinations produce different meanings; common elements include 直 (nao, 'straight, honest') and 美 (mi, 'beauty'). It shares the romanized spelling but has no etymological connection to the Hebrew name.
How Popular is the Name Naomi?
Naomi recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Naomi entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2010.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #47 | 4,644 | 0.2889% |
| 2024 | #44 | 4,605 | 0.2855% |
| 2023 | #44 | 4,494 | 0.2804% |
| 2022 | #46 | 4,498 | 0.2745% |
| 2021 | #54 | 4,271 | 0.2605% |
| 2020 | #52 | 4,119 | 0.2550% |
| 2019 | #59 | 3,954 | 0.2357% |
| 2018 | #64 | 3,854 | 0.2266% |
| 2017 | #69 | 3,865 | 0.2239% |
| 2016 | #75 | 3,806 | 0.2148% |
| 2015 | #75 | 3,775 | 0.2115% |
| 2014 | #80 | 3,716 | 0.2081% |
| 2013 | #86 | 3,454 | 0.1969% |
| 2012 | #79 | 3,430 | 0.1948% |
| 2011 | #93 | 3,195 | 0.1817% |
| 2010 | #95 | 3,136 | 0.1764% |
| 2009 | #107 | 3,039 | 0.1654% |
| 2008 | #119 | 2,917 | 0.1543% |
| 2007 | #121 | 2,789 | 0.1451% |
| 2006 | #129 | 2,710 | 0.1426% |
| 2005 | #138 | 2,425 | 0.1312% |
| 2004 | #143 | 2,276 | 0.1240% |
| 2003 | #163 | 2,052 | 0.1123% |
| 2002 | #165 | 1,967 | 0.1095% |
| 2001 | #179 | 1,826 | 0.1014% |
| 2000 | #183 | 1,756 | 0.0967% |
| 1999 | #189 | 1,649 | 0.0930% |
| 1998 | #190 | 1,630 | 0.0923% |
| 1997 | #196 | 1,526 | 0.0877% |
| 1996 | #212 | 1,390 | 0.0793% |
| 1995 | #213 | 1,316 | 0.0748% |
| 1994 | #235 | 1,202 | 0.0673% |
| 1993 | #243 | 1,145 | 0.0633% |
| 1992 | #249 | 1,117 | 0.0606% |
| 1991 | #274 | 1,011 | 0.0539% |
| 1990 | #299 | 924 | 0.0487% |
| 1989 | #271 | 991 | 0.0538% |
| 1988 | #254 | 1,003 | 0.0563% |
| 1987 | #255 | 998 | 0.0574% |
| 1986 | #268 | 945 | 0.0551% |
| 1985 | #240 | 1,079 | 0.0627% |
| 1984 | #240 | 1,048 | 0.0622% |
| 1983 | #226 | 1,103 | 0.0660% |
| 1982 | #215 | 1,222 | 0.0722% |
| 1981 | #216 | 1,224 | 0.0734% |
| 1980 | #210 | 1,250 | 0.0753% |
| 1979 | #222 | 1,175 | 0.0732% |
| 1978 | #231 | 1,071 | 0.0699% |
| 1977 | #247 | 1,002 | 0.0654% |
| 1976 | #259 | 923 | 0.0630% |
| 1975 | #267 | 898 | 0.0616% |
| 1974 | #300 | 798 | 0.0544% |
| 1973 | #308 | 757 | 0.0519% |
| 1972 | #347 | 639 | 0.0420% |
| 1971 | #378 | 608 | 0.0365% |
| 1970 | #411 | 554 | 0.0317% |
| 1969 | #421 | 527 | 0.0312% |
| 1968 | #401 | 538 | 0.0328% |
| 1967 | #407 | 512 | 0.0310% |
| 1966 | #374 | 593 | 0.0350% |
| 1965 | #379 | 580 | 0.0329% |
| 1964 | #387 | 617 | 0.0326% |
| 1963 | #362 | 690 | 0.0358% |
| 1962 | #367 | 656 | 0.0334% |
| 1961 | #370 | 673 | 0.0333% |
| 1960 | #340 | 775 | 0.0383% |
| 1959 | #363 | 682 | 0.0337% |
| 1958 | #341 | 763 | 0.0379% |
| 1957 | #342 | 698 | 0.0341% |
| 1956 | #320 | 756 | 0.0377% |
| 1955 | #326 | 695 | 0.0355% |
| 1954 | #296 | 817 | 0.0421% |
| 1953 | #296 | 759 | 0.0403% |
| 1952 | #292 | 769 | 0.0415% |
| 1951 | #283 | 763 | 0.0424% |
| 1950 | #271 | 793 | 0.0463% |
| 1949 | #262 | 850 | 0.0497% |
| 1948 | #271 | 821 | 0.0484% |
| 1947 | #263 | 840 | 0.0474% |
| 1946 | #244 | 838 | 0.0533% |
| 1945 | #235 | 797 | 0.0610% |
| 1944 | #223 | 875 | 0.0659% |
| 1943 | #219 | 904 | 0.0648% |
| 1942 | #208 | 986 | 0.0730% |
| 1941 | #193 | 987 | 0.0817% |
| 1940 | #179 | 1,053 | 0.0921% |
| 1939 | #174 | 1,086 | 0.0990% |
| 1938 | #166 | 1,239 | 0.1123% |
| 1937 | #168 | 1,202 | 0.1130% |
| 1936 | #159 | 1,281 | 0.1231% |
| 1935 | #144 | 1,435 | 0.1369% |
| 1934 | #149 | 1,360 | 0.1302% |
| 1933 | #140 | 1,430 | 0.1419% |
| 1932 | #148 | 1,356 | 0.1271% |
| 1931 | #140 | 1,517 | 0.1425% |
| 1930 | #139 | 1,594 | 0.1416% |
| 1929 | #139 | 1,600 | 0.1433% |
| 1928 | #141 | 1,652 | 0.1432% |
| 1927 | #137 | 1,825 | 0.1530% |
| 1926 | #141 | 1,757 | 0.1482% |
| 1925 | #144 | 1,768 | 0.1452% |
| 1924 | #140 | 1,981 | 0.1586% |
| 1923 | #137 | 1,902 | 0.1577% |
| 1922 | #134 | 1,869 | 0.1556% |
| 1921 | #132 | 1,976 | 0.1603% |
| 1920 | #134 | 1,854 | 0.1547% |
| 1919 | #140 | 1,632 | 0.1444% |
| 1918 | #140 | 1,692 | 0.1462% |
| 1917 | #133 | 1,619 | 0.1497% |
| 1916 | #130 | 1,649 | 0.1579% |
| 1915 | #128 | 1,548 | 0.1573% |
| 1914 | #134 | 1,129 | 0.1482% |
| 1913 | #142 | 840 | 0.1345% |
| 1912 | #132 | 835 | 0.1496% |
| 1911 | #141 | 585 | 0.1398% |
| 1910 | #156 | 502 | 0.1266% |
| 1909 | #141 | 504 | 0.1451% |
| 1908 | #146 | 458 | 0.1370% |
| 1907 | #155 | 410 | 0.1287% |
| 1906 | #157 | 372 | 0.1260% |
| 1905 | #156 | 361 | 0.1238% |
| 1904 | #155 | 350 | 0.1271% |
| 1903 | #148 | 355 | 0.1355% |
| 1902 | #158 | 327 | 0.1238% |
| 1901 | #172 | 256 | 0.1070% |
| 1900 | #176 | 307 | 0.1024% |
| 1899 | #166 | 272 | 0.1167% |
| 1898 | #176 | 264 | 0.1020% |
| 1897 | #176 | 241 | 0.1029% |
| 1896 | #163 | 269 | 0.1131% |
| 1895 | #168 | 249 | 0.1066% |
| 1894 | #189 | 196 | 0.0879% |
| 1893 | #189 | 186 | 0.0874% |
| 1892 | #214 | 143 | 0.0673% |
| 1891 | #203 | 132 | 0.0712% |
| 1890 | #219 | 122 | 0.0641% |
| 1889 | #268 | 79 | 0.0443% |
| 1888 | #241 | 93 | 0.0521% |
| 1887 | #242 | 76 | 0.0521% |
| 1886 | #281 | 55 | 0.0381% |
| 1885 | #244 | 68 | 0.0511% |
| 1884 | #250 | 61 | 0.0473% |
| 1883 | #240 | 56 | 0.0499% |
| 1882 | #236 | 54 | 0.0501% |
| 1881 | #204 | 55 | 0.0598% |
| 1880 | #276 | 32 | 0.0352% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,310 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #11,818 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #11,753 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #11,705 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #13,444 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #13,617 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #13,787 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #8,687 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #11,770 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #7,936 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,801 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #7,771 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #5,184 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #5,389 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #5,998 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,474 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #5,307 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #6,010 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,736 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,434 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #6,196 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #6,031 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,901 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #4,819 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,852 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,748 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,433 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1937 | #3,092 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1935 | #4,004 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #2,692 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1933 | #3,528 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #2,782 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1931 | #2,593 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1929 | #3,164 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1927 | #3,358 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1926 | #4,626 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #2,699 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1924 | #2,317 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1923 | #4,688 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #3,763 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,593 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #4,026 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1915 | #3,287 | 7 | 0.0008% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
