Boy · #12,301 in 2026

Yoav

Name: Popularity of the name Yoav in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Yoav, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Yoav is a male given name popular among Israeli Jews. Its popularity is attributed to both Joab, commander of King David's army in the Hebrew Bible, and Yitzhak Dubno, a 1940s Palmach soldier whose codename was Yoav.

Current Rank

#12,301

Peak Rank

#3,646 (2008)

Total Babies

403

5-Yr Trend

-9%

1970

First Year

2024

Last Year

2008

Peak Year

#3646

Peak Rank

403

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yoav

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

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

The Story of Yoav

Yoav 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 2008, when 29 Yoavs were born — ranking #3,646 that year. As of 2026, Yoav ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 403 Yoavs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Yoav

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

Youve
Uve
Jov
Yev
Yahve
Yav
Yuv
Yive
Yof
Euve
Wove
Wov

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yoav

What does the name Yoav mean?

How popular is Yoav in 2026?

In 2026, Yoav ranks #12,301 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Yoav most popular?

Yoav reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking #3,646 that year with 29 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Yoav most popular?

Yoav has historically been most popular in New York, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Yoav.

Is Yoav a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Yoav is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Yoav?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yoav include Rondald, Randahl, Renae. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Yoav

Yoav is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 403 births in the dataset. Yoav's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #3,646. Use the chart and map above to compare Yoav'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.