Esau - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Esau

In its Hebrew genesis, Esau (/iˈsaʊ/) emerges from the Old Testament as the robust firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah, his name rooted in the Hebrew ʿayin-samekh-waw to connote hairiness and earthy vigor, a designation that foreshadows both his fated rivalry with Jacob and the eventual rise of Edom—a motif that has reverberated through centuries of theological exegesis and ecclesiastical Latin usage. As an appellation, Esau radiates patriarchal gravitas and untamed authenticity; in the Vulgate its cadence carries a solemn dignity that still resonates in liturgical readings, bestowing upon modern bearers a vestige of ancestral authority. In contemporary American onomastic charts, the name occupies a discreet yet steady niche—hovering near the eight-hundredth rank with roughly forty newborns annually—like an heirloom inscription etched faintly but indelibly upon the cultural bedrock. Parents who select Esau today often aspire to endow their son with a heritage of resilient strength and unvarnished humanity, allowing this venerable name to bridge ancient tradition and modern identity with quiet endurance.