boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Yakov

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,286 Trend ↑ Rising 27%
Rank 2025
#1,286
among boys · ↓91 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
153
named Yakov · -11% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
172 babies
All-time total
3,353
#2,351 all-time among boys
First recorded
1953
in Social Security records

Yakov popularity over time

3,353 babies have been named Yakov since 1953, 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 2024Boys

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 18 2 – #3,271
1960s 18 2 0% #3,929
1970s 95 10 +428% #3,069
1980s 205 21 +116% #2,287
1990s 395 40 +93% #1,848
2000s 721 72 +83% #1,471
2010s 1,074 107 +49% #1,363
2020s (to 2025) 827 138 +28% #1,195

Where Yakov 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 159 0.09 outside top 500
2027 165 0.10 outside top 500
2028 170 0.10 outside top 500
2029 175 0.10 outside top 500
2030 178 0.10 outside top 500

Where Yakov is most popular

Boys named Yakov per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.082 per 1,000.

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 Yakov 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 York 556 1.28 +1471%
New Jersey 101 0.502 +514%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
California – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Florida – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
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 Yakov

Yakov is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,286 in 2025 with 153 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1953, 3,353 American babies have been named Yakov. Its peak came in 2024, when 172 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 Yakov stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yakov?

The median living Yakov is about 13 years old; half are between 6 and 23. An estimated 3,300 people named Yakov are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

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

Yakov year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 153 #1,286
2024 172 #1,195
2023 123 #1,472
2022 140 #1,345
2021 118 #1,513
2020 121 #1,436
2019 114 #1,506
2018 130 #1,363
2017 113 #1,498
2016 113 #1,512
2015 114 #1,474
2014 90 #1,700
2013 102 #1,556
2012 104 #1,544
2011 108 #1,503
2010 86 #1,758
2009 114 #1,471
2008 91 #1,690
2007 91 #1,680
2006 73 #1,875
2005 74 #1,789
2004 64 #1,933
2003 61 #1,935
2002 50 #2,153
2001 57 #1,934
2000 46 #2,195
1995 35 #2,296
1990 22 #2,950
1985 24 #2,291
1980 18 #2,727
1975 5 #6,319
1970 9 #3,516
1965 – –
1960 5 #4,593
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Yakov

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

  1. 1 Yakov Dzhugashvili Yakov Dzhugashvili Red Army officer and Joseph Stalin's son (1907–1943) Contemporary
  2. 2 Yakov Yurovsky Yakov Yurovsky Chief executioner of Tsar Nicholas II (1878–1938) 19th century
  3. 3 Yakov Sverdlov Yakov Sverdlov Soviet politician (1885–1919) 19th century
  4. 4 Yakov Pavlov Yakov Pavlov Soviet Red Army soldier 1917–1981 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Yakov Zeldovich Yakov Zeldovich Soviet physicist, physical chemist and cosmologist (1914–1987) Contemporary
  6. 6 Yakov Smushkevich Yakov Smushkevich Soviet Air Forces lieutenant general (1902–1941) Contemporary
  7. 7 Yakov Sinai Yakov Sinai Russian–American mathematician (born 1935) Contemporary
  8. 8 Yakov Perelman Yakov Perelman Russian science writer (1882–1942) 19th century
  9. 9 Yakov Malik Yakov Malik Soviet diplomat (1906–1980) Contemporary
  10. 10 Yakov Frenkel Yakov Frenkel Soviet physicist (1894–1952) 19th century
  11. 11 Yakov Protazanov Yakov Protazanov Russian film director and screenwriter 1881–1945 · 19th century
  12. 12 Yakov Sannikov Russian explorer 1780–1825 · 18th century
  13. 13 Yakov Polonsky Yakov Polonsky Russian Pushkinist poet 1819–1898 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yakov?

The median living Yakov is about 13 years old. Half of all living Yakovs are between 6 and 23 years old.

How many people named Yakov are alive today?

An estimated 3,300 people named Yakov are alive in the United States, based on 3,353 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Yakov in 2025?

Yakov ranked #1,286 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 153 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Yakov?

3,353 babies have been named Yakov in the United States since 1953, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yakov most popular?

Yakov peaked in 2024, when 172 newborns received the name.

Is Yakov a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Yakov rising or falling?

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

Will Yakov become more popular?

Yakov is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 178 boys named Yakov 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 Yakov?

Well-known people named Yakov include Yakov Dzhugashvili (companion), Yakov Yurovsky (politician), Yakov Sverdlov (politician).

Names like Yakov

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

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