| Jordan | Noah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | To flow down, descend | Rest, comfort |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Unisex | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOR-dan | NOH-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1990 (16,137) | 2024 (20,409) |
| In 2025 | 2,732 | 20,358 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jordan | Noah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 21,955 | 116,024 |
| 2010s | 64,530 | 183,378 |
| 2000s | 101,187 | 143,533 |
| 1990s | 144,756 | 56,269 |
| 1980s | 57,172 | 12,385 |
| 1970s | 5,449 | 5,688 |
| 1960s | 1,851 | 1,519 |
| 1950s | 1,189 | 1,456 |
| 1940s | 690 | 1,523 |
| 1930s | 770 | 1,606 |
| 1920s | 854 | 2,284 |
| 1910s | 395 | 1,734 |
| 1900s | 123 | 622 |
| 1890s | 117 | 686 |
| 1880s | 158 | 895 |
From the River Jordan, Hebrew Yarden, derived from the root y-r-d 'to go down, descend, flow down' - describing the river's descent. Long used as a given name, originally for those baptised in or with water from the Jordan.
Noah comes from the Hebrew Noach, usually given as “rest” or “comfort.” In the Bible he built the ark and survived the great flood; the name tops the charts for boys today.
Noah is more popular than Jordan today: about 20,358 US babies were given the name Noah in 2025, compared with 2,732 named Jordan.
Jordan means To flow down, descend (hebrew origin), while Noah means Rest, comfort (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Jordan first appears in 1880 and Noah in 1880, so Jordan has the longer recorded history.