Jeremy Name Meaning: History, Popularity & Variations

What Does Jeremy Mean?

Jeremy is originally a Hebrew boy’s name meaning “God exalts” and “God will uplift.” It is an Anglo form of the Hebrew Jeremiah, also appearing as “yirmiyahu,” meaning “sent by God.” It similarly means “God will raise” or “God will loosen.” Jeremiah itself is made up of the Hebrew “rum,” meaning “to exalt” and “yah,” meaning “God.”

What Is the Origin of the Name Jeremy?

Jeremy is an English spelling of the Hebrew Jeremiah, meaning “appointed by God.” It centers on a biblical figure known as the “weeping prophet” in the Old Testament. As an English form of Jeremiah, Jeremy dates back to the 13th century as a medieval given name for boys.

Jeremy became a favorite among the Puritans in the 16th-century, together with other traditional biblical names. Jeremy became more common throughout the 20th-century, but it is less popular today.

How Popular Is the Name Jeremy?

Jeremy entered the U.S. name charts in 1942 and increased in popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970, it hit the top 100 U.S. boys’ names and remained in the top 50 from 1971 until 1995. It peaked in the top 20 in the late 1970s yet slowly declined in popularity into the 21st century.

In recent years, Jeremy ranked in the top 250 boys’ names in the U.S. It also specifically ranked 43rd for Canadian boys in Quebec in 2015.

How Do I Pronounce Jeremy?

In English, Jeremy is pronounced either “JHEHR-ah-Mee” or “JHEHR-Mee.”

Is Jeremy a Boy or Girl Name?

Since it appeared in the Hebrew Bible as Jeremiah, Jeremy is predominantly a boy’s name and is also occasionally a surname.

Variations of Jeremy

Discover just some of the many variations of Jeremy from around the world.

• Geremy (Hispanic)
• Jaremay (English)
• Jaremi (Portuguese)
• Jaremy (English)
• Jerahmy (Hebrew)
• Jeramey (Hebrew)
• Jereme (French)
• Jeremi (Polish)
• Jérémie (French)
• Jeremih (Hebrew)
• Jeromy (Hebrew)
• Yeremey (Russian)

Nicknames for Jeremy

Set your heart on some endearing nicknames based on Jeremy.

• Germ
• Germey
• Jem
• Jerbear
• Jere
• Jerjer
• Jermey
• Jerry
• Jez
• Jezza
• Remy

Similar Names to Jeremy

There are many similar names to Jeremy for those who need more choices in boys’ names.

• Benjamin
• Christopher
• Colin
• Damian
• Elias
• Gabriel
• Jackson
• James
• Jason
• Joel
• Jordan
• Joshua
• Julian
• Justin
• Levi
• Luke
• Mason
• Nathan
• Noah

Middle Names for Jeremy

All those named Jeremy need a cool middle name for the ultimate statement.

• Aaron
• Albert
• Allan
• Andrew
• Caleb
• Daniel
• Finn
• Haden
• Ian
• Isaac
• Matthew
• Oliver
• Oscar
• Peter
• Quinton
• Robert
• Ryan
• Stephen
• Victor
• William

Sibling Names for Jeremy

Give Jeremy’s brother or sister one of these adorable names for a perfect pair.

• Aiden
• Cami
• Elizabeth
• Emily
• Ethan
• Felix
• Harper
• Jasper
• Jennifer
• Jessica
• Jonathan
• Jupiter
• Katherine
• Logan
• Lucas
• Luna
• Michael
• Victoria
• Zachary
• Zara

Famous People Named Jeremy

Uncover some of the most famous people named Jeremy listed here.

• Jeremy Abbott: American figure skater.
• Jeremy Bordeleau: Canadian canoeist.
• Jeremy Bowen: Welsh journalist
• Jeremy Corbyn: English member of parliament.
• Jeremy Edwards: English TV actor.
• Jeremy Hardy: English comedian
• Jeremy Irons: English actor.
• Jeremy Jordan: American singer.
• Jeremy Lee: American TV chef.
• Jeremy Lee: Hong Kong singer.
• Jeremy Lin: American basketball player.
• Jérémy Mathieu: French football player.
• Jeremy Mayfield: American NASCAR driver.
• Jeremy Paxman: English TV presenter.
• Jeremy Purvis: Scottish member of the House of Lords.
• Jeremy Scahill: American journalist.
• Jeremy Soule: American composer.
• Jeremy Toljan: German soccer player.
• Jeremy Wade: English author.
• Jeremy Wilcox: Canadian volleyball player.

Jeremy in Popular Culture

There are more than a few instances of Jeremy popping up in music and entertainment.

• Jeremy: Character in the survival game “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted.”
• Jeremy: Jet airliner in the series “Thomas & Friends.”
• Jeremy: Name of the Scout class in the video game Team Fortress 2.
• Jeremy: Protagonist in Pearl Jam’s song “Jeremy.”
• Jeremy Brown: Character in the series “Mind Your Language.”
• Jeremy Duncan: Protagonist of the comic strip “Zits.”
• Jeremy Finch: Character in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
• Jeremy Fisher: Title character in “The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher” by Beatrix Potter.
• Jeremy Hilary Boob: “Nowhere Man” from The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.
• Jeremy Johnson: Character in the kids’ show “Phineas and Ferb.”
• Jeremy Kidd: Character in “Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Forever.”
• Jeremy Reed: Character in the 1995 film “Powder.”
• Jeremy Simms: Character in Mildred Taylor’s “Logan” series.
• Jeremy Usbourne: Character in the English series “Peep Show.”
• Jeremy the Bear: Canadian TV children’s character.

Jeremy FAQs

Here, you’ll get answers to more unique facts about the boy’s name Jeremy.

What Is the Latin Word for Jeremy?

Jeremy relates to the Latin Jeremias, which appeared in the 6th- and 7th-centuries BCE. It’s still associated with the Hebrew Yirmeyah, meaning “may Jehovah exalt,” or Yirmeyahu, meaning “the Lord casts.” Both the Latin Jeremiaas and Hebrew Jeremiah transformed over the centuries into the mostly Anglo Jeremy we have today.

What Is Jeremy in the Bible?

The Old Testament’s Book of Jeremiah (also the Hebrew form of Jeremy), depicts the biblical character as the “weeping prophet.” Jeremiah is said to be the author of the biblical book, along with the Book of Kings and the Book of Lamentations. Tradition says Jeremiah wrote with the help of a scribe, Baruch ben Neriah, his disciple.

What Is the Russian Name for Jeremy?

Jeremy may exist in Russian culture as the equivalent of George, but it is more closely linked to the Hebrew Jeremy. It appears as Georgy, but another more traditional form of Jeremy in Russian seems to be Yeremai, Yefrem, or even Ephraim, meaning “fruitful.” Some claim Yuri is also connected, but it’s more closely regarded as a short form of George.