Akiva
Akiva or Akiba is a Jewish-ethnic name, arising in Aramaic from Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, and thus cognate to English Jacob.
- Hebrew
Meaning & Origin of Akiva
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Akiva or Akiba is a Jewish-ethnic name, arising in Aramaic from Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, and thus cognate to English Jacob.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hebrew
The Story of Akiva
Akiva first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1961, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2020: 145 births, good for #1,262 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 29% of all recorded Akivas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,568 among baby boy names with 111 births, gradually rising (+12%). In total, more than 3K Akivas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Akiva
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Akiva. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Akiva
Phonetically similar names — useful when Akiva is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Akiva
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About the name Akiva
Akiva is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Akiva's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #1,262. Use the chart and map above to compare Akiva's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.