Yubal
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "small stream" or "brook".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Yubal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yubal today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yubal births was 2009 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yubal. 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 Yubal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2009
7 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#10,952
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Yubal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yubal 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 Yubal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yubal
The name Yubal is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the 3rd millennium BC. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian word "ub-al," which means "the one who brings abundance" or "the bestower of wealth."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Yubal can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest literary works known to humanity. In this epic, Yubal is depicted as a wise and revered figure, known for his ability to interpret dreams and provide guidance to the legendary king Gilgamesh.
Throughout history, the name Yubal has been associated with various cultural and religious traditions. In the Hebrew Bible, Yubal is mentioned as the son of Lamech and the father of those who "handle the harp and pipe" (Genesis 4:21), suggesting a connection to music and the arts.
Several notable individuals have borne the name Yubal throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Yubal of Babylon, a renowned astrologer and mathematician who lived during the 3rd century BC. His contributions to the field of astronomy and his accurate predictions of celestial events earned him widespread recognition in the ancient world.
Another significant figure was Yubal the Scribe, a scholar and poet who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century AD. His poetry and literary works were highly regarded, and he is often cited as an influential figure in the development of Arabic literature.
In the 12th century, Yubal ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes, was a prominent Islamic philosopher, jurist, and polymath. His works on Aristotelian philosophy and his commentaries on various subjects, including medicine and astronomy, had a profound impact on the intellectual landscape of the time.
During the Renaissance period, Yubal Gozzoli was an Italian artist and architect who lived in the 15th century. He is best known for his fresco cycle in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in Florence, which depicts scenes from the Bible and the life of Saint Augustine.
In the realm of music, Yubal Mehta, an Indian conductor and music director, has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Born in 1925, he has conducted orchestras around the globe and has been praised for his interpretations of various composers' works.
People
Yubal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yubal 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
Yubal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yubal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yubal 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Yubal a common name?
We classify Yubal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yubal most popular?
The single biggest year for Yubal was 2009, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yubal is about 17 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 Yubal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yubal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yubal 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 Yubal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yubal 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 Yubal 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 many people have Yubal as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Yubal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.