A spelling variant of Corban, from Hebrew qorban, meaning offering or gift dedicated to God.
Korban derives from the Hebrew קָרְבָּן (qorban), a word of profound religious weight meaning "an offering" or "that which is brought near" — specifically a sacrifice or gift presented to God. The root q-r-b conveys the idea of drawing close, of approach and proximity, making qorban not merely a transaction but an act of intimacy between the worshipper and the divine. The term appears throughout the Torah and is central to the sacrificial system described in Leviticus, where different categories of korban — burnt offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings — structured Israelite religious life.
The word entered broader awareness through the New Testament as well: in the Gospel of Mark (7:11), Jesus references korban in a critique of those who use vow-making to circumvent family obligations, suggesting the term was in common Aramaic usage in first-century Judea. The Mishnah devotes an entire order, Kodashim, to the laws of korban, cementing its centrality in rabbinic literature. In Islamic tradition, the cognate qurbān (قُرْبَان) carries parallel meanings of sacrifice and nearness to God, shared across the Semitic language family.
As a personal name, Korban is rare and carries an unmistakable gravitas. Parents choosing it today often do so within religious communities — Christian, Jewish, or Muslim — who find meaning in its sacrificial and devotional connotations. Its phonetic similarity to popular names like Corbin and Jordan has also drawn interest from parents seeking something deeply rooted yet contemporary-sounding. The name's unusual combination of ancient scriptural weight and modern rhythmic appeal gives it a striking singularity on any birth certificate.