What Does the Name Rebecca Mean?

Rebecca is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning “to bind or join (often glossed as 'captivating').”

Updated June 2026

Name	Rebecca
Gender	female
Origin	Hebrew
Meaning	to bind or join (often glossed as 'captivating')
Variants	Rebekah, Rebeca, Rivka, Becca, Becky
Popularity	Very popular in the US during the 1970s through 1990s; now in moderate steady use.

The meaning and origin of Rebecca

The name Rebecca means “to bind or join (often glossed as 'captivating')” and has Hebrew origins. Rebecca comes from the Hebrew Rivka, traditionally interpreted as 'to tie' or 'to bind,' and is the name of Isaac's wife in the Book of Genesis. It became widely used in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

Variants and related names

Rebecca is related to several other names you may recognize: Rebekah, Rebeca, Rivka, Becca, Becky. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Rebecca?

Very popular in the US during the 1970s through 1990s; now in moderate steady use.

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