Jeremy

See also: Jérémy

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.ɪ.mi/, /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.ə.mi/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US, also) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.mi/, /ˈd͡ʒɜɹ.mi/
  • Homophone: germy

Proper noun

Jeremy (plural Jeremys)

1. A male given name from Hebrew, English form of Jeremiah. Also used to anglicize Irish Diarmaid (Dermot).
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 2:17:

     Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet.

   • 1840, John Bowring, Memoirs of Jeremy Bentham. Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, p.169:

     He had the name of Jeremy given to him, because Jeremiah, as his father said, was a family name; and there was an advantage in curtailing a syllable, and in showing a preference towards the names of the New Testament over those of the old.

   • 2004 October 22, QI, Season 2, Episode 4:

     Fry: You don't meet many American Jeremies, do you? Have you ever met an American Jeremy?
     Clarkson: No, it's too complicated. There's three syllables.

2. A locality in the Oberon council area, eastern New South Wales, Australia.

Usage notes

In premodern times, the Biblical prophet was regularly referred to as "Jeremy" in English. In recent centuries, however, he is almost exclusively referred to as "Jeremiah." "Jeremy" remained the more popular given name for babies, though in the 21st century "Jeremiah" may be dominating in that context as well.

Related terms

• pet form: Jerry

Translations

Jeremiah — see Jeremiah

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Jeremy.

Proper noun

Jeremy

1. a male given name from English [in turn from Hebrew]