Boy · #7,940 in 2026

Yafet

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
#7,940
Peak Rank
#3,775 (2016)
Total Babies
435
5-Yr Trend
-39%
1997
First Year
2025
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#3775
Peak Rank
435
Total Count
29
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yafet

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 Yafet

Yafet first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1997, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 28 Yafets were born — ranking #3,775 that year. As of 2026, Yafet ranks #7,940 for baby boys with 6 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 435 Yafets have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Yafet

Phonetically similar names — useful when Yafet is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Safet
  • Afet
  • Tuffet
  • Uet
  • Lafitte
  • Laffitte
  • Webfoot
  • Sfat
  • Rafat
  • Laffite
  • Mofat
  • Uot

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yafet

What does the name Yafet 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 Yafet in 2026?
In 2026, Yafet ranks #7,940 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Yafet most popular?
Yafet reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #3,775 that year with 28 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Yafet most popular?
Yafet has historically been most popular in Maryland, Virginia, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Yafet.
Is Yafet a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Yafet is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Yafet?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yafet include Chidubem, Kyion, Arvene. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Chidubem
Peak #3775
👦
Kyion
Peak #3775
👦
Arvene
Peak #3776
👦
Clardy
Peak #3776
👦
Colmon
Peak #3776
👦
Darhl
Peak #3776
👦
Darling
Peak #3776
👦
Earven
Peak #3776

About the name Yafet

Yafet is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1997 and has accumulated 435 births in the dataset. Yafet's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #3,775. Use the chart and map above to compare Yafet'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.