Boy · #3,380 in 2026

Japheth

Japheth was one of the three sons of Noah in the Book of Genesis. In the biblical narrative he plays a role in the story of Noah's drunkenness and the curse of Ham, and subsequently in the Table of Nations, he is named as the ancestor of the peoples of the Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Caucasus, Greece, and elsewhere in Eurasia.

Current Rank
#3,380
Peak Rank
#1,823 (2007)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
-2%
1970
First Year
2026
Last Year
2007
Peak Year
#1823
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
56
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Japheth

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Japheth was one of the three sons of Noah in the Book of Genesis. In the biblical narrative he plays a role in the story of Noah's drunkenness and the curse of Ham, and subsequently in the Table of Nations, he is named as the ancestor of the peoples of the Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Caucasus, Greece, and elsewhere in Eurasia.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The meaning of the name Japheth ( יפת ‎ : y-p-t ) is disputed. There are two possible sources to the meaning of the name: From the Aramaic root פתה ( p-t-h ), meaning "to extend". In this case, the name would mean "may He extend", according to the interpretation of Rashi . From the Hebrew root יפה ( y-p-h ), meaning "beauty", in which case the name would mean "beautiful".

The Story of Japheth

Japheth first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1970, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 51 Japheths were born — ranking #2,473 that year. As of 2026, Japheth ranks #3,380 for baby boys with 35 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 1K Japheths have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
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WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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AR
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OK
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Japheth

Phonetically similar names — useful when Japheth 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 Japheth

What does the name Japheth mean?
Japheth was one of the three sons of Noah in the Book of Genesis. In the biblical narrative he plays a role in the story of Noah's drunkenness and the curse of Ham, and subsequently in the Table of Nations, he is named as the ancestor of the peoples of the Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Caucasus, Greece, and elsewhere in Eurasia.
How popular is Japheth in 2026?
In 2026, Japheth ranks #3,380 among boys' names in the U.S., with 35 babies given the name that year.
When was Japheth most popular?
Japheth reached its peak popularity in 2007, ranking #1,823 that year with 51 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Japheth most popular?
Japheth has historically been most popular in Virginia, Indiana, Ohio. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Japheth.
Is Japheth a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Japheth is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Japheth?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Japheth include Parish, Lenin, Naftali. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Parish
Peak #1823
👦
Lenin
Peak #1823
👦
Naftali
Peak #1823
👦
Tyrice
Peak #1823
👦
Christohper
Peak #1823
👦
Amaury
Peak #1823
👦
Orenthal
Peak #1823
👦
Shariff
Peak #1823

About the name Japheth

Japheth is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Japheth's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #1,823. Use the chart and map above to compare Japheth's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.