Fun Facts About the Name Joab
- More than 1 thousand babies named Joab: U.S. records list 1,000 babies given the name Joab from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Joab Mean?
Joab is a masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning Yahweh is father. It comes from the Hebrew name יוֹאָב (Yo'av), formed from יוֹ (Yo), a shortened form of the divine name YHWH, and אָב (av), "father." The name is theophoric: it contains a form of God's name, and its literal sense is a statement about Yahweh, not about the bearer's human father. English Bibles render the Hebrew name as Joab. The English names Job and Jacob look somewhat similar but come from different Hebrew roots and are not related to Joab.
Joab Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name יוֹאָב (Yo'av) is known mainly from the Hebrew Bible. Its most prominent bearer is Joab son of Zeruiah, nephew of King David and commander of David's army. He appears in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles; he kills Abner and Amasa, and Solomon later has him executed by Benaiah. Other biblical Joabs include a Judahite in 1 Chronicles 4:14 and an ancestor of a family that returned from exile in Ezra 2:6 and Nehemiah 7:11.
The name passed into Greek as Ἰωάβ (Ioab) in the Septuagint and into Latin as Ioab in the Vulgate. English Bible translations used the form Joab, which is how the name is chiefly known in English.
How Popular is the Name Joab?
Joab 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 #2,319 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 | #2,319 | 60 | 0.0035% |
| 2024 | #2,845 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2023 | #3,082 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2022 | #3,032 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2021 | #2,940 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #4,071 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #3,600 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #3,474 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,718 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #3,639 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2015 | #3,398 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #4,319 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #3,156 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2012 | #5,366 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #4,577 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #5,596 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #4,661 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #4,190 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #3,476 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2006 | #4,594 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #4,928 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #4,342 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #4,921 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #3,856 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #4,776 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #4,905 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #4,234 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #4,101 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1997 | #4,558 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #3,918 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #3,953 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #4,655 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #3,916 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #5,418 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #3,906 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #4,079 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #4,645 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #6,088 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,190 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #5,613 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #4,492 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #4,754 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #5,173 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #5,297 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #5,837 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,205 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #3,930 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #6,257 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #6,308 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #3,852 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #5,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,282 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #5,330 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,711 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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 Joab 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 frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Joab's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Joab's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.