Abimelech

The masculine first name Abimelech (אֲבִימֶלֶך) has its roots in ancient Hebrew and translates to "my father is king."

What does the name Abimelech mean?

Abimelech (אֲבִימֶלֶך) is a masculine first name that originates from ancient Hebrew. Its literal meaning is "my father is king." The name is composed of the two ancient Hebrew elements av (אָב), meaning "the father," and malákh (ימֶ֫לֶך) or melekh (מֶלֶכְ), meaning "king." Abimelech appears multiple times in the Old Testament, as it was frequently borne by Philistine kings. For example, Abimelech was the name of a polytheistic ruler of Gerar, mentioned in two of three stories about wives and sisters in Genesis. An alternative spelling of the name is Avimelekh or Avimeleh.

Where does the name Abimelech come from?

The first name Abimelech has ancient Hebrew origins and means "my father is king." Its components consist of av (אָב), meaning "the father," and malákh (ימֶ֫לֶך) for "to rule" or melekh (מֶלֶכְ) for "king." It belongs to the biblical Hebrew language.

How do you pronounce Abimelech?

The pronunciation of Abimelech is four syllables and clearly structured. In German, the name is typically pronounced as "A-bi-me-lech" [abimɛˈlɛç], with soft and prominent sounds alternating. The final throat sound "-ch" provides a distinct, slightly rough ending. This gives Abimelech a multifaceted and definite tonal quality, conveying depth and a striking conclusion.

Popularity

In Germany, Abimelech is a rather rare first name that has not appeared in the name popularity lists so far. In Austria, it reached its best ranking in the name charts in 2012 at 1,520th place. From 1984 to 2024, Abimelech was given as a first name in Austria fewer than 10 times, earning it the 6,220th place. In the last ten years, no child has been named this way.