Yaphett
An old Hebrew name derived from the biblical name Japheth.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Yaphett. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yaphett today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yaphett births was 1973 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yaphett. 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 Yaphett. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1973
5 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1973 SSA rank
#5,863
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Yaphett: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yaphett 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 Yaphett during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yaphett
The name Yaphett has its origins in ancient Hebrew. It is a variant spelling of the biblical name Japheth, which is derived from the Hebrew root words "yaphah" meaning "to be fair" or "to be beautiful," and "pathah" meaning "to be persuasive" or "to entice." The name Japheth is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as one of the three sons of Noah, along with Shem and Ham.
During the Middle Ages, the name Yaphett emerged as an alternative spelling, particularly among Jewish communities in Europe. This variant form was likely influenced by the pronunciation and spelling conventions of languages such as Yiddish and German.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yaphett appears in the 12th-century Hebrew work "Sefer HaYashar" (The Book of the Upright), which is believed to be a midrashic commentary on the biblical narratives. In this text, Yaphett is mentioned as the son of Noah and is portrayed as a righteous individual who played a role in the survival of humanity after the great flood.
Throughout the centuries, the name Yaphett has been borne by various notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Yaphett ben Heli HaYevani, a 10th-century Jewish philosopher and scholar from Byzantium, who was known for his contributions to the field of logic and philosophy.
Another notable figure with the name Yaphett was Yaphett ben Ali, a 10th-century Jewish poet and scholar from Kairouan, Tunisia. He is renowned for his work in the field of Hebrew linguistics and his poetic compositions, which were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, Yaphett Schwartz, a Jewish scholar and kabbalist from Prague, gained recognition for his mystical teachings and his writings on the Kabbalah, a school of Jewish mysticism.
During the 18th century, Yaphett Akerman, a Swedish historian and antiquarian, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Nordic cultures and the preservation of historical artifacts and manuscripts.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Yaphett Brill, a Dutch publisher and bookseller, founded the renowned Brill publishing house, which has become a leading publisher of academic works in various fields, including the humanities and social sciences.
People
Yaphett + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yaphett 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
Yaphett: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yaphett?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yaphett 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Yaphett a common name?
We classify Yaphett as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Yaphett most popular?
The single biggest year for Yaphett was 1973, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yaphett is about 49 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 Yaphett in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yaphett a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yaphett 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 Yaphett still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yaphett 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 Yaphett 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 Yaphett?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Yaphett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.