boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Yaakov

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,025 Trend ↑ Rising 36%
Rank 2025
#1,025
among boys · ↓50 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
218
named Yaakov · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,835
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
237 babies
All-time total
5,991
#1,591 all-time among boys
First recorded
1948
in Social Security records

Yaakov popularity over time

5,991 babies have been named Yaakov since 1948, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2023Boys

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 6 1 – #3,665
1950s 59 6 +883% #2,940
1960s 85 9 +44% #1,912
1970s 260 26 +206% #1,569
1980s 624 62 +140% #853
1990s 752 75 +21% #1,210
2000s 1,170 117 +56% #1,248
2010s 1,728 173 +48% #996
2020s (to 2025) 1,307 218 +26% #953

Where Yaakov 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 228 0.13 outside top 500
2027 236 0.14 outside top 500
2028 244 0.14 outside top 500
2029 250 0.15 outside top 500
2030 256 0.15 outside top 500

Where Yaakov is most popular

Boys named Yaakov per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.130 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 Yaakov 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 529 2.63 +1914%
New York 378 0.873 +569%
Maryland 38 0.319 +144%
Pennsylvania 16 0.060 -54%
Illinois 15 0.059 -55%
Florida 24 0.051 -61%
California 31 0.034 -74%
Texas 5 0.006 -96%
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 – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
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 Yaakov

Yaakov is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,025 in 2025 with 218 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1948, 5,991 American babies have been named Yaakov. Its peak came in 2021, when 237 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 Yaakov stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yaakov?

The median living Yaakov is about 15 years old; half are between 7 and 28. An estimated 5,900 people named Yaakov are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

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

Yaakov year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 218 #1,025
2024 233 #975
2023 234 #963
2022 205 #1,071
2021 237 #953
2020 180 #1,105
2019 160 #1,201
2018 186 #1,073
2017 189 #1,058
2016 159 #1,197
2015 207 #996
2014 160 #1,173
2013 178 #1,061
2012 155 #1,179
2011 153 #1,169
2010 181 #1,067
2009 131 #1,330
2008 123 #1,388
2007 137 #1,282
2006 135 #1,248
2005 120 #1,288
2004 110 #1,342
2003 112 #1,276
2002 107 #1,280
2001 104 #1,282
2000 91 #1,389
1995 78 #1,337
1990 62 #1,434
1985 57 #1,280
1980 40 #1,544
1975 23 #2,064
1970 19 #2,123
1965 6 #3,924
1960 5 #4,592
1955 8 #3,198
1950 5 #4,188
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Yaakov

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

  1. 1 Yaakov Dori Yaakov Dori Israeli general (1899-1973) 19th century
  2. 2 Yaakov Litzman Yaakov Litzman Israeli politician b. 1948 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Yaakov Neeman Yaakov Neeman Israeli politician (1939–2017) Contemporary
  4. 4 Yaakov Ziv Yaakov Ziv Israeli electrical engineer (1931–2023) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yaakov?

The median living Yaakov is about 15 years old. Half of all living Yaakovs are between 7 and 28 years old.

How many people named Yaakov are alive today?

An estimated 5,900 people named Yaakov are alive in the United States, based on 5,991 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Yaakov in 2025?

Yaakov ranked #1,025 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 218 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Yaakov?

5,991 babies have been named Yaakov in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yaakov most popular?

Yaakov peaked in 2021, when 237 newborns received the name.

Is Yaakov a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Yaakov rising or falling?

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

Will Yaakov become more popular?

Yaakov is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 256 boys named Yaakov 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 Yaakov?

Well-known people named Yaakov include Yaakov Dori (politician), Yaakov Litzman (politician), Yaakov Neeman (politician).

Names like Yaakov

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

Compare Yaakov with similar names → More names starting with Y →