Rebecca

Meaning of Rebecca

Rebecca, pronounced ruh-BEK-uh, stems from the ancient Hebrew Rivqah—usually translated as “to tie” or “bind,” though many modern parents prefer the more lyrical gloss “captivating.” The name’s pedigree is both venerable and versatile: it first surfaces in the Book of Genesis as the quick-witted matriarch who engineers Jacob’s birthright, then reappears, century after century, in works ranging from Walter Scott’s chivalric “Ivanhoe” to Daphne du Maurier’s haunting novel that needs no surname at all. In Anglo-American naming charts, Rebecca has proved as resilient as a well-knotted sailor’s rope, cresting in the 1980s and early ’90s before settling into today’s comfortable middle ranks—never obscure, yet never so common that playground roll calls feel repetitive. Its trim, three-syllable cadence invites friendly diminutives (Becky, Becca, Bex), although purists may relish pronouncing Rebecca in full, finding the extra syllable a small price for elegance. Altogether, the name offers parents a timeless blend of scriptural gravitas, literary glamour, and everyday approachability—an enduring classic that, like a favorite novel, rewards repeated reading.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as ruh-BEK-uh (/rəˈbɛkə/)

• Becca
• Rebekka
• Rivka
• Riva
• Reba
• Becky
• Rebekah