The Greek proper noun Ephraim (Ἐφραίμ) refers to a town in Judea near the wilderness. It appears once in the NT — John 11:54 — where Jesus withdraws to 'a town called Ephraim' after raising Lazarus. The name is Hebrew in origin (ʾEphrayim), meaning 'fruitful' (Gen 41:52), primarily known as the name of Joseph's second son and the Israelite tribe descended from him.
After raising Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish leaders resolved to kill Jesus (John 11:53). In response, Jesus 'no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples' (John 11:54). This strategic withdrawal was not fear but timing — the hour had not yet come. Ephraim (likely modern et-Taiyibeh, about 15 miles north of Jerusalem) served as a place of quiet preparation before the final Passover journey to Jerusalem.