Zehava is a Hebrew feminine given name derived from the word "zeh" which means "this." The full phrase in Hebrew is "zeh avit malkenu," meaning "this is our mother, our Queen." Thus, Zehava signifies royalty and motherhood.
The name Zehava has a rich history rooted in Jewish tradition. It was the name of Queen Sheba's mother in Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of Jewish interpretations on the Book of Psalms. According to this tradition, Zehava was a wise woman who taught her daughter, the queen, about Judaism.
The name gained further significance during the Second Temple period when it was used as one of the names inscribed on the Arch of Zehava, a monumental gate in the Temple complex in Jerusalem. This arch was dedicated by Queen Helena of Adiabene, who converted to Judaism and is believed to have been named after her mother, Zehava.
Today, Zehava is still used as a given name among Jewish communities around the world, carrying with it the historical connotations of wisdom, royalty, and devotion. It is often chosen by parents seeking a meaningful name with deep roots in Jewish heritage.
Based on the statistics provided for the given name Zehava in the United States from 1988 to 2023, we can observe several trends and patterns.
Firstly, the number of births with the name Zehava has shown fluctuations over time. There were years where only a few babies were named Zehava, such as 6 births in 1988 and 5 births each in 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2003. However, there are also instances where the number of births with this name increased significantly, reaching a peak of 10 births in both 2015 and 2017.
Secondly, we can observe that the popularity of the name Zehava has grown over time. Since 2010, there has been an upward trend in the number of babies named Zehava each year, with a notable spike in recent years (2020-2023). This suggests that more parents are choosing this name for their children nowadays compared to previous decades.
Lastly, it's interesting to note that the total number of births with the name Zehava in the United States from 1988 to 2023 is 129. This indicates that while Zehava may not be one of the most popular names in terms of frequency, it has a consistent presence among American newborns across different generations.
In conclusion, despite its fluctuations in popularity over time, the name Zehava continues to appear among baby names in the United States, with an increasing trend observed in recent years.