Obadyah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Obadyah

What is the meaning of the name Obadyah ?

The baby name Obadyah is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced oh-BAY-dee-uh (IPA: /oʊˈbeɪdiə/).

Obadyah is Hebrew in Origin.

Obadyah is a transliteration of the Hebrew name ‘Ovadyah (עֹבַדְיָה/עֹבַדְיָהוּ), from the root ‘avad “to serve” plus Yah, the divine name - hence “servant of Yahweh” or “worshipper of the LORD.” In English it is best known as Obadiah, borne by several biblical figures and by the prophet credited with the Book of Obadiah, the shortest book of the Old Testament. The name remained in Jewish use (modern Israeli forms Ovadia/Ovadya) and is familiar through figures such as Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

Through Greek and Latin it became Abdias, shaping forms across Europe: French/Spanish/Portuguese Abdías, Italian Abdia, and Czech/Slovak Abdiáš. Obadiah found favor among English Puritans and appears in early American colonial records. Contemporary variants include Obadyah, Ovadyah, Ovadiah, Obadya, and Obadiah; English nicknames Obi and Obie occur. While uncommon today, its strong theophoric meaning and deep scriptural pedigree give it enduring, tradition-rich appeal.

⚙ Nothing for Obadyah shows up in the birth registries or name datasets we track. That's typically a sign of a rare name, a regional or traditional one, or a modern coinage. By any reading, it's an exceptionally uncommon choice.