boys' name ★ peaked 2020

Akiva

Meaning From Hebrew עֲקִיבָא (akíva), from Aramaic עֲקִיבָא (ʿăqīḇā) Gender Boy · 5% girls Rank 2025 #1,466 Trend ↑ Rising 24%

From Hebrew עֲקִיבָא (akíva), from Aramaic עֲקִיבָא (ʿăqīḇā).

Rank 2025
#1,466
among boys · ↑28 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
121
named Akiva · +1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 14,116
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2020
145 babies
All-time total
2,932
#2,662 all-time among boys
First recorded
1961
in Social Security records

Akiva popularity over time

2,932 babies have been named Akiva since 1961, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – 11 11 1 – #3,945
1970s 8 125 133 13 +1109% #1,586
1980s – 177 177 18 +33% #2,284
1990s 44 329 373 37 +111% #1,965
2000s 46 583 629 63 +69% #1,736
2010s 35 835 870 87 +38% #1,612
2020s (to 2025) 5 734 739 123 +42% #1,263

Where Akiva is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 127 0.07 outside top 500
2027 133 0.08 outside top 500
2028 138 0.08 outside top 500
2029 142 0.08 outside top 500
2030 146 0.09 outside top 500

Where Akiva is most popular

Boys named Akiva per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.068 per 1,000. Strongest in New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Akiva born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New Jersey 167 0.830 +1116%
New York 211 0.487 +615%
Maryland 25 0.210 +207%
California 37 0.040 -41%
Florida 17 0.036 -47%
Illinois 6 0.023 -66%
Ohio 5 0.019 -72%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -72%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Texas – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Akiva

Akiva is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,466 in 2025 with 121 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1961, 2,932 American babies have been named Akiva. Its peak came in 2020, when 145 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Akiva stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Akiva?

The median living Akiva is about 14 years old; half are between 5 and 24. An estimated 2,900 people named Akiva are alive in the United States today.

median 14 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Akiva year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 121 #1,466
2024 – – 120 #1,494
2023 5 #15,282 126 #1,440
2022 – – 113 #1,566
2021 – – 109 #1,583
2020 – – 145 #1,263
2019 8 #11,401 79 #1,887
2018 6 #13,872 83 #1,823
2017 – – 99 #1,612
2016 5 #16,336 94 #1,676
2015 – – 71 #2,020
2014 – – 87 #1,730
2013 8 #12,022 94 #1,626
2012 – – 76 #1,891
2011 8 #12,208 74 #1,886
2010 – – 78 #1,851
2009 – – 80 #1,839
2008 8 #12,618 87 #1,736
2007 7 #13,991 59 #2,235
2006 6 #15,208 51 #2,403
2005 6 #14,563 71 #1,813
2004 5 #16,196 51 #2,240
2003 6 #13,912 45 #2,350
2002 8 #11,151 43 #2,373
2001 – – 57 #1,912
2000 – – 39 #2,425
1995 10 #8,094 31 #2,444
1990 – – 21 #2,954
1985 – – 20 #2,506
1980 – – 22 #2,284
1975 – – 14 #2,754
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Akiva

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Akiva Schaffer Akiva Schaffer American filmmaker, comedian and musician (born 1977) Contemporary
  2. 2 Akiva Goldsman Akiva Goldsman American screenwriter, director and producer (born 1962) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Akiva, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Akiva?

The median living Akiva is about 14 years old. Half of all living Akivas are between 5 and 24 years old.

How many people named Akiva are alive today?

An estimated 2,900 people named Akiva are alive in the United States, based on 2,932 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Akiva mean?

From Hebrew עֲקִיבָא (akíva), from Aramaic עֲקִיבָא (ʿăqīḇā).

How popular is the name Akiva in 2025?

Akiva ranked #1,466 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 121 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Akiva?

2,932 babies have been named Akiva in the United States since 1961, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Akiva most popular?

Akiva peaked in 2020, when 145 newborns received the name.

Is Akiva a boy or girl name?

Akiva is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 95% of babies with the name.

Is the name Akiva rising or falling?

Akiva is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Akiva become more popular?

Akiva is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 146 boys named Akiva in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Akiva?

Well-known people named Akiva include Akiva Schaffer (film director), Akiva Goldsman (writer).

Names like Akiva

Names that sound and feel close to Akiva: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Akiva with similar names → More names starting with A →