Yedidyahu

Yedidyahu is a Hebrew masculine given name meaning “beloved of Yahweh” or “the beloved of the Lord.” It is formed from elements relating to love and the divine name Yahweh, and is the direct Hebrew form from which the English name Jedidiah is derived.

In the Hebrew Bible, the name appears in the form Yedidyahu (often rendered Jedidiah in English translations). It is most closely associated with the child Solomon, whom the prophet Nathan the prophet names Jedidiah after a divine commission, with the sense that the Lord loves him. The naming is described in 2 Samuel 12:25, though the child is later known primarily by the name Solomon in the biblical narrative. The appearance of theophoric names like Yedidyahu reflects a common biblical practice of linking a child’s destiny or status to the relationship between God and the people.

Usage and variants: Yedidyahu has several transliterations in English, including Jedidiah and Yedidiah. In modern usage, the form is rare outside Jewish religious or scholarly contexts, but it appears in discussions of biblical onomastics and in communities that preserve classical Hebrew forms. The name is primarily of historical and religious interest rather than a common contemporary given name.

See also: Jedidiah, Solomon, biblical names, theophoric names in Hebrew.