Jeremiah

Jeremiah is a Hebrew name derived from Yirmeyahu, composed of the roots yirmah or yarum, meaning "exalted" or "appointed by God," combined with Yah, a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. The name is most closely associated with the Hebrew prophet of the late seventh and early sixth centuries BCE, whose writings form the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Bible and whose name became synonymous with sorrowful lamentation, giving rise to the English word jeremiad. It entered English through Latin Jeremias and Greek Hieremias, and the shortened form Jeremy developed as a common vernacular variant in medieval England. Related forms include Jeremias, used in Spanish and Portuguese traditions, and Yirmiyahu, still in use in modern Hebrew.