Joab: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,319

among boys · ↑532 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Joab · +33% vs 2024

How common

1 in 28,468

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2025

60 babies

All-time total

1,000

#5,142 all-time among boys

First recorded

1965

in Social Security records

Joab popularity over time

1,000 babies have been named Joab since 1965, 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

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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	6	1	–	#3,711
1970s	46	5	+667%	#3,853
1980s	77	8	+67%	#4,492
1990s	149	15	+94%	#3,906
2000s	202	20	+36%	#3,476
2010s	267	27	+32%	#3,156
2020s (to 2025)	253	42	+58%	#2,319

Where Joab 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	65	0.04	outside top 500
2027	70	0.04	outside top 500
2028	74	0.04	outside top 500
2029	78	0.05	outside top 500
2030	82	0.05	outside top 500

The story of Joab

Joab is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,319 in 2025 with 60 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1965, 1,000 American babies have been named Joab. Its peak came in 2025, when 60 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 Joab stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Joab?

The median living Joab is about 14 years old; half are between 5 and 27. An estimated 1,000 people named Joab are alive in the United States today.

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

Joab year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	60	#2,319
2024	45	#2,851
2023	40	#3,084
2022	41	#3,033
2021	42	#2,941
2020	25	#4,072
2019	31	#3,602
2018	32	#3,474
2017	29	#3,718
2016	30	#3,639
2015	33	#3,399
2014	23	#4,320
2013	35	#3,156
2012	17	#5,367
2011	21	#4,579
2010	16	#5,596
2009	21	#4,661
2008	24	#4,190
2007	31	#3,476
2006	20	#4,596
2005	17	#4,930
2004	20	#4,342
2003	16	#4,921
2002	22	#3,856
2001	16	#4,776
2000	15	#4,905
1995	16	#3,953
1990	14	#4,079
1985	9	#4,492
1980	7	#5,205
1975	5	#5,867
1970	–	–
1965	6	#3,711
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Joab?

The median living Joab is about 14 years old. Half of all living Joabs are between 5 and 27 years old.

How many people named Joab are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Joab are alive in the United States, based on 1,000 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Joab mean?

Joab is a masculine given name.

How popular is the name Joab in 2025?

Joab ranked #2,319 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 60 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Joab?

1,000 babies have been named Joab in the United States since 1965, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Joab most popular?

Joab peaked in 2025, when 60 newborns received the name.

Is Joab a boy or girl name?

Joab is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Joab rising or falling?

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

Will Joab become more popular?

Joab is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 82 boys named Joab in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Joab

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

Compare Joab with similar names → More names starting with J →