The first name Cephas
A boy’s name from Aramaic meaning “stone”, “rock”.
Pronounced /ˈsi.fəs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Aramaic origin
Cephas means “stone”, “rock” in Aramaic.
Borrowed from Latin Cēphās, from Ancient Greek Κηφᾶς (Kēphâs), from Aramaic כֵּיפָא/Classical Syriac ܟܐܦܐ (kēp̄ā, “stone, rock”).
More names that mean mountain.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Cephas last appeared in the official list in 2013, given to 3 boys.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cephas with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Cephas at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 19 boys born in the United States were named Cephas, the 5,070th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 23 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Cephas in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Questions
- What does the name Cephas mean?
- Cephas means “stone”, “rock” in Aramaic.
- What is the origin of the name Cephas?
- Borrowed from Latin Cēphās, from Ancient Greek Κηφᾶς (Kēphâs), from Aramaic כֵּיפָא/Classical Syriac ܟܐܦܐ (kēp̄ā, “stone, rock”).
- How popular is the name Cephas?
- In 2013, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Cephas, ranking 4,685th.
- Is Cephas a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 930 US babies named Cephas since 1880 were boys.
- When was Cephas most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 23 babies were named Cephas, its highest rank at 1,594th.
- How do you pronounce Cephas?
- Cephas is /ˈsi.fəs/, 2 syllables.
- Is Cephas also a surname?
- Yes. Cephas is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.