The name Pekaḥ comes from the Hebrew פּקח (peqaḥ, pronounced PE-kaḥ), where it is the name of the next-to-last king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel mentioned in 2 Kings 15:25. The name comes from the Hebrew verb פּקח (pāqaḥ), which means "to open," often in reference to the eyes, ears, or womb, and yields a name like "open eyes" or "able to see," implying wisdom or foresight.

Intriguingly, Pekaḥ was a general who assassinated the previous king, Pekaḥiah (פּקחיה, peqaḥyah) in 2 Kings 15:23–26, whose name adds the shortened form of the personal name of the Hebrew deity, יה (Yāh). This combination yields, "Yah(weh) has opened the eyes."