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At a Glance: Name: Balthazar – Meaning: Bel protects the king (Bel being a title of the Babylonian god Marduk) – Origin: Akkadian (via Hebrew, Greek, and Latin biblical tradition) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: BAL-thuh-zar
Balthazar is an Akkadian name that reached English through the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin biblical tradition, and it means "Bel protects the king." You'll often see it explained as "Baal protects the king," but that's a mix-up: the god named in it is Bel, a title of the Babylonian god Marduk, not Baal, the separate Canaanite god the two are frequently confused with.
Meaning & Origin of Balthazar
Meaning: Bel protects the king (Bel being a title of the Babylonian god Marduk).
Origin: Akkadian (via Hebrew, Greek, and Latin biblical tradition).
A common claim: Balthazar is often said to mean 'Baal protects the king.' Actually: The deity element is actually 'Bel' — a title of the Babylonian god Marduk — not Baal, a distinct Canaanite god the two are frequently confused with.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Balthazar
Phonetic: BAL-thuh-zar IPA: /ˈbælθəzɑːr/
Popularity of Balthazar
Balthazar is a rarely given name in the U.S.: it ranked #7796 in 2024 with 10 babies, down from its peak at #5764 in 2014, when 15 babies received it (Social Security data covers 2001-2024).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 2001–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Balthazar mean?
Bel protects the king (Bel being a title of the Babylonian god Marduk). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Balthazar)
How do you pronounce Balthazar?
Balthazar is pronounced BAL-thuh-zar (IPA: /ˈbælθəzɑːr/).
Is Balthazar a popular name right now?
Balthazar peaked at #5764 in 2014 and is ranked #7796 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 2001–2024.)
📊 How popular is Balthazar? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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