Meaning and history
Zebedee is the English biblical form of a Hebrew name, Zebadyah, meaning “Yahweh has bestowed” or “gift of Yahweh.” In the New Testament, Zebedee is a Galilean fisherman and the father of the apostles James and John, who are sometimes called the sons of Zebedee. This gives the name its principal Christian significance. The form entered English through Greek and Latin biblical transmission. Notable modern bearers are uncommon, and the name remains more strongly associated with scripture than public life.
20062006: 8 births, rank #8,732
2007: 10 births, rank #7,590
2008: 8 births, rank #9,019
2009: 7 births, rank #9,864
2010: 8 births, rank #8,803
20112011: 7 births, rank #9,600
2012: 6 births, rank #10,770
2013: 10 births, rank #7,537
2014: 8 births, rank #8,781
2015: 11 births, rank #7,066
20162016: 10 births, rank #7,605
2017: 8 births, rank #8,840
2018: 10 births, rank #7,617
2019: 13 births, rank #6,406
2020: 14 births, rank #5,980
20212021: 9 births, rank #8,166
2022: 21 births, rank #4,701
2023: 34 births, rank #3,416
2024: 38 births, rank #3,161
20252025: 19 births, rank #5,045
In 2025, 19 babies were recorded with the name Zebedee, ranking #5,045 among boys.