Ezekiel

A prophet by the river Chebar sees wheels within wheels, creatures with four faces, a valley of dry bones clattering back into flesh. Ezekiel's visions are among the strangest in the Hebrew Bible, and his name, Yehezkel, means God strengthens. For centuries it was too heavy for daily use, reserved for Puritan ministers and Old Testament scholars. Then it loosened: nicknamed Zeke, softened by hip-hop and television, carried by the Dallas Cowboys running back who made the name feel fast. It now ranks 54, given to roughly one in 318 boys, a prophetic name that finally learned to run.