Name profile

Nebuchadnezzar

From נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר, the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name Nabu combined with kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of naṣāru meaning "to protect".

PronunciationAmerican English /ˌnɛb.ə.kəd.ˈnɛz.əɹ/; British English /ˌnɛb.jʊ.kəd.ˈnɛz.ə/
Usage languagesBabylonian, Biblical

Meaning and history

From נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevuḵaḏnetstsar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Nabu-kudurri-usur, meaning “Nabu protect my eldest son,” formed from the god Nabu, kudurru meaning “eldest son,” and an imperative of naṣāru meaning “to protect.” The name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire and by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who captured Jerusalem, destroyed its temple, and deported many of its inhabitants, according to the Old Testament.