Yoav
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "the glory of the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 397 living Americans carry the first name Yoav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yoav today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yoav births was 2008 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yoav. 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.
People living today
397
~ 1 in 863,361 Americans
Peak year
2008
29 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,160
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Yoav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yoav from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 166 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yoav 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 Yoav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yoavs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yoav
The name Yoav is a Hebrew name originating from the ancient Hebrew language. It is believed to have been derived from the Hebrew root word "av," which means "father." The name's earliest known use dates back to biblical times, around the 10th century BCE.
In the Hebrew Bible, Yoav is mentioned as the name of a prominent military commander who served under King David. He was the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Abishai and Asahel. Yoav played a significant role in many of David's military campaigns and was known for his bravery and strategic skills. However, he was also portrayed as a ruthless and ambitious figure who occasionally acted against the king's wishes.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yoav was Yoav ben Tzeruya, the biblical military leader mentioned in the Book of Samuel and the Book of Chronicles. He lived around the 10th century BCE and served as the commander of King David's armies.
Another notable figure with the name Yoav was Yoav Gallant, an Israeli general and politician. He served as the Commander of the Southern Command of the Israel Defense Forces from 2005 to 2008 and later pursued a career in politics, serving as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) from 2015 to 2019.
Yoav Tsur was an Israeli poet and writer who lived from 1951 to 1998. He was known for his contributions to modern Hebrew poetry and his unique poetic style, which drew inspiration from various sources, including biblical texts and Jewish mysticism.
Yoav Ginai was an Israeli actor and theater director born in 1945. He was renowned for his performances in both classical and contemporary plays and was a prominent figure in the Israeli theater scene.
Yoav Levi was an Israeli singer and songwriter who lived from 1976 to 2017. He was a popular figure in the Israeli music industry and known for his unique blend of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern musical styles.
While the name Yoav has its roots in ancient Hebrew, it continues to be used as a given name in modern times, particularly in Israel and among Jewish communities around the world. However, its historical significance and connections to biblical figures and events make it a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Yoav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yoav 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
Yoav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yoav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 397 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yoav 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 863,361 US residents.
Is Yoav a common name?
We classify Yoav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 403 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yoav most popular?
The single biggest year for Yoav was 2008, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yoav is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yoav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yoav 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.
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.