Shimaiah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shimaiah

What is the meaning of the name Shimaiah ?

The baby name Shimaiah is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced shi-MAY-uh (IPA: /ʃɪˈmeɪə/).

Shimaiah is Hebrew in Origin.

Shimaiah is a less common Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shemaiah (שְׁמַעְיָה), a theophoric compound from shama‘ “to hear” and Yah, the divine name, yielding “Yahweh has heard” or “heard by God.” It is used primarily as a masculine given name in Jewish and Christian traditions.

In the Hebrew Bible, numerous figures bear the name: a prophet who counseled King Rehoboam, several Levites and priests in the time of David, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and Shemaiah the Nehelamite mentioned by Jeremiah - evidence of its wide biblical currency. Modern spellings and cognates include Shemaiah (standard English), Shemayah or Shmaya (modern Hebrew/Israeli), and Semaías (Spanish/Portuguese biblical form); related forms sometimes appear as Shemiah. The Shimaiah spelling surfaces in English records but remains rare today, chosen by parents seeking an authentic yet distinctive Old Testament name with a hopeful, prayer-answered meaning.

⚙ Shimaiah does not appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. This usually means it's either extremely rare, a regional/traditional name not captured by official statistics, or a brand-new coinage. Use it knowing your child will almost certainly be the only one in the room.