Jab
A nickname of Persian origin meaning "stream" or "flowing water."
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Jab. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jab today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jab births was 1919 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jab. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jab. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1919
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1919 SSA rank
#4,473
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Jab: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jab by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jab during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jab
The given name Jab has its origins in ancient Egyptian culture, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the ancient Egyptian word "jb," which translates to "heart" or "soul." This name was often given to children as a symbol of their inner spirit and essence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jab can be found in the inscriptions on the walls of the tomb of Pharaoh Djoser, who ruled during the 27th century BCE. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Old Kingdom period of ancient Egyptian history.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, there are references to a minor deity named Jab, who was associated with the concept of the soul or the spiritual essence of life. This further reinforces the symbolic meaning behind the name.
Throughout the centuries, the name Jab has been carried by various individuals of note. One such person was Jab-nefert, a high-ranking official who served under Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century BCE. Another notable figure was Jab-ib, a scribe who lived during the reign of Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE.
Moving forward in time, the name Jab also appeared in ancient Greek records. Jab of Argos was a celebrated athlete who competed in the ancient Olympic Games in the 5th century BCE and won multiple victories in various sporting events.
During the Middle Ages, the name Jab resurfaced in the Islamic world. Jab al-Din, a renowned Persian scholar and philosopher, lived in the 12th century CE and made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.
In the 16th century, Jab Singh was a prominent Rajput warrior and ruler who fought against the Mughal Empire in India, defending his kingdom of Marwar with great valor and courage.
As time progressed, the name Jab continued to be used across various cultures and regions, although its popularity may have waned in comparison to other names. Nonetheless, it remains a name with a rich historical legacy, deeply rooted in ancient Egyptian traditions and symbolism.
People
Jab + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jab as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jab: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jab?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jab going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Jab a common name?
We classify Jab as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jab most popular?
The single biggest year for Jab was 1919, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jab is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jab in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jab a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jab in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jab still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jab in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jab can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Jab?
See how many people share the name Jab on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.