Meaning and background
The story behind Rebecca
Rebecca has a probable Semitic-root explanation in Behind the Name, involving joining, tying, or snaring. The reference identifies the Hebrew Rivqa form and the Biblical wife of Isaac, while retaining uncertainty about the deeper root. It also records literary bearers in Ivanhoe and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Those narrative associations can inform a dog’s name, while the etymological explanation remains qualified rather than an unquestionable one-word translation.
- Origin
- From Hebrew Rivqa, probably connected with a Semitic join/tie/snare root. Source
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About Rebecca
Recorded as a dog’s name
Rebecca appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ɹəbɛkə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/ɹəbɛkə/ · primary stress on syllable 2R AH0 B EH1 K AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — extract_year 2026 — Dog licence periods, not unique dogs; NYC only. No owner-level fields retrieved.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.