Zephaniah

Zephaniah is a Hebrew biblical name traditionally understood as “Yahweh has hidden.” It is associated with one of the twelve Minor Prophets and the Old Testament book bearing that name. The word minor refers to the shorter prophetic books, not to a judgment about the value of the name or the prophet.

Zeph provides a much shorter everyday form, while the full Zephaniah retains its distinctive beginning and ending. Writer Benjamin Zephaniah offers a literary surname association separate from the biblical figure. A family considering Zephaniah alongside Zachariah can compare their sounds, but the names have different meanings and should not be treated as spelling variations of one another.