Ephraim is a Hebrew name meaning "fruitful"; in Genesis Joseph gives it to his second son, born in Egypt, because God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. The tribe of Ephraim became one of the leading tribes of Israel, and the name was a Puritan favorite in early America. In the United States Ephraim has hovered around the top 1000 line for a decade, peaking at number 848 in 2017 and ranking number 988 in 2025.