Ikabod as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ikabod

What is the meaning of the name Ikabod ?

The baby name Ikabod is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced IK-uh-bod (IPA: /ˈɪkəˌbɒd/ or /ˈɪkəˌbɑd/).

Ikabod is Hebrew in Origin.

Ikabod is a Hebrew biblical name, better known in English as Ichabod, formed from kavod “glory, honor” with a privative or interrogative prefix i-. In 1 Samuel 4:21, the grieving mother declares, “The glory has departed from Israel,” and names her son accordingly. The sense is often glossed as “no glory,” “inglorious,” or “Where is the glory?” - alluding to loss and lament.

In English-speaking contexts, the standard form Ichabod saw modest use among Puritans in the 17th–18th centuries, favored for its scriptural resonance rather than its bleak meaning. Recognition later widened through Washington Irving’s 1820 character Ichabod Crane. Variant spellings include Ichabod (dominant), Icabod (reflecting the Latin Vulgate), and Ikabod (a modern or phonetic rendering; also found in some Slavic and Scandinavian records). Diminutives like Ike occasionally occur. Despite its rarity today, Ikabod carries strong historical heft and a solemn, evocative etymology.

⚙ Ikabod is a genuine rarity. We count just 5 recorded uses of it worldwide, from 2 countries.