Fun Facts About the Name Jabal
- 77 babies named Jabal: U.S. records list 77 babies given the name Jabal from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jabal Mean?
Jabal is a Hebrew name found in the book of Genesis. It rests on the Hebrew root y-b-l, which also underlies several related words: the verb yaval ("to bring, carry, or lead"), yevul ("produce of the earth"), yuval ("a stream" or "watercourse"), and yovel ("a ram's horn," and by extension the jubilee year). Because the name sits inside this cluster of words and the Bible gives no translation of it, its exact sense is not settled. Older Bible dictionaries commonly gloss it as "stream," and the name's consonants match those of yuval ("stream"). Other explanations tie it to "to lead" or "to bring," which would suit the description of Jabal in Genesis as a leader of tent-dwelling herders. No single derivation can be confirmed.
The Arabic word jabal (جبل), meaning "mountain," looks similar in English letters but belongs to a different language and a different root; it is not the source of the biblical Hebrew name.
Jabal Name History & Origins
Jabal appears in Genesis 4:20, in the genealogy of Cain's line. He is the son of Lamech and Adah and the brother of Jubal. The text calls him "the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock," a traditional way of naming him as the ancestor of pastoral nomads; his brother Jubal is called the ancestor of those who play the lyre and pipe, and their half-brother Tubal-Cain, son of Zillah, is linked with bronze and iron work. This brief notice is the name's only appearance in the Bible.
The Hebrew form is יָבָל (Yaval). The English spelling with an initial J follows the Latin and later English practice of rendering the Hebrew letter yod as J in names such as Jacob and Joshua. The name came into English Bibles and name lists through Greek and Latin transliterations of the Hebrew. It is distinct from the similar name Jubal, and from the Arabic word and place element jabal ("mountain").
How Popular is the Name Jabal?
Jabal has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #5,965 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,965 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #6,973 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #6,676 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #8,576 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #7,815 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #7,740 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #9,212 | 8 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Jabal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Jabal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jabal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.