Yahav
A Hebrew name meaning "to give" or "gift".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Yahav. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Yahav today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yahav births was 2014 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yahav. 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 Yahav. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2014
10 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,986
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Yahav
Yahav is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Yahav as a male name
- Ranked #13,986 in 2014
- 5 male births in 2014
- Peak: 2014 (5 births)
Yahav as a female name
- Ranked #19,094 in 2014
- 5 female births in 2014
- Peak: 2014 (5 births)
Popularity
Yahav: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yahav 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 Yahav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yahav
The name Yahav has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hav," which means "to give" or "to bestow." The name carries connotations of generosity, kindness, and the act of giving.
In the biblical context, the name Yahav is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, where it is stated that one of the regions conquered by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt was called "Havvoth-Yair," which translates to "the villages of Yair." This reference suggests that the name Yahav, or a variation of it, was in use among the ancient Israelites.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Yahav was Yahav ben Tzelofchad, who lived during the time of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness, as mentioned in the Book of Numbers. Yahav was the daughter of Tzelofchad, from the tribe of Manasseh, and she played a significant role in advocating for the inheritance rights of women in the absence of male heirs.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the name Yahav. One such person was Yahav ben Shmuel, a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 10th century CE in Sura, Babylonia. He was known for his contributions to the study of the Talmud and Jewish law.
Another prominent figure was Yahav ben Yitzchak, a Jewish poet and grammarian who lived in the 11th century CE in Spain. He is renowned for his work on Hebrew grammar and his poetic compositions, particularly those related to religious ceremonies and festivals.
In more recent times, Yahav Geffen (1917-1995) was an Israeli artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his monumental public sculptures and his unique style that combined traditional and modern elements.
Yahav Gal (born 1975) is a contemporary Israeli writer and academic, known for his novels and short stories that explore themes of identity, memory, and the complexities of modern Israeli society.
It is important to note that the name Yahav has been used across various communities and cultures throughout history, and the examples provided here are not exhaustive. The name continues to be popular in Israel and among Jewish communities worldwide, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and symbolism.
People
Yahav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yahav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yahav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yahav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yahav 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 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Yahav a common name?
We classify Yahav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yahav most popular?
The single biggest year for Yahav was 2014, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yahav is about 12 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 Yahav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yahav a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Yahav in the SSA data are female. 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 Yahav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yahav 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 Yahav 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 Yahav?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Yahav at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.