Fun Facts About the Name Yoav
- 411 babies named Yoav: U.S. records list 411 babies given the name Yoav from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yoav Mean?
Yoav is a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh is father." It comes from the Biblical Hebrew יוֹאָב (Yo'av), made of two elements: yo, a shortened form of the divine name YHWH (the God of Israel), and av (אָב), the Hebrew word for "father." Names built with this same shortened divine element are common in the Hebrew Bible, but Yoav is distinctive in pairing it with "father" rather than with a verb or another noun.
The literal sense is a statement about God - "Yahweh is father" - and it is usually understood that way rather than as a description of the person who bears it. Translations render it into English Bibles as Joab, which reflects the same name carried through Greek and Latin rather than a different name.
Yoav Name History & Origins
Yoav appears in the Hebrew Bible as the name of several figures. The best known is Yoav son of Zeruiah, a nephew of King David and the commander of David's army. The books of Samuel follow him through the wars of David's reign, including the killing of Abner, the death of Absalom, and his own execution by Benaiah on Solomon's order. Other bearers are listed in the genealogies of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:14) and among the families of returning exiles in Ezra 2:6 and Nehemiah 7:11, where the name functions as a clan or family designation.
Because the biblical text was transmitted through Greek and Latin, the name reached English Bibles in the form Joab - Ἰωάβ (Ioab) in the Septuagint, Ioab in the Latin Vulgate. The spelling and pronunciation Yoav reflects the original Hebrew directly, with the stress on the second syllable.
Yoav is used as a given name in modern Hebrew, where it was taken up along with other biblical names in the revived Hebrew-speaking society of the twentieth century. In English-speaking countries the biblical form Joab is the one familiar from scripture, while Yoav is used chiefly by Hebrew speakers and Jewish families.
How Popular is the Name Yoav?
Yoav 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 2008. Its best rank was #3,739 in 2008.
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 | #9,678 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #14,160 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,892 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #7,741 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #7,078 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #8,697 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,711 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #9,637 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #8,810 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #9,625 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #9,536 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #7,537 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #9,629 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #5,243 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #5,932 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #5,240 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #5,322 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #3,739 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2007 | #3,889 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 2006 | #4,857 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #5,274 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #4,597 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #5,547 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #8,432 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #9,216 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #7,395 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #8,685 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #5,281 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #8,988 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,303 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #9,626 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #7,249 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #8,133 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #7,566 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #7,326 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,993 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,253 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #5,866 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #5,424 | 5 | 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 Yoav Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Yoav's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yoav's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.