Joab
Boy name · #2316 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Joab? In official American birth records, Joab has been tracked continuously since 1965, giving it 60 years of documented American history.
Joab is currently the #2316 boy name in the United States — 60 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3365, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,000 boys born in 2025 was named Joab.
Babies named Joab per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 60-year story
Joab first appears in the Social Security records in 1965, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 60 babies and a rank of #2304. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joab against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joab in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Joab is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Joab will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Joab is most common
State-level data for Joab is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Joab
Statistically, parents drawn to Joab tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Musab, Eliab, Joah, Jawad, and Jin.
MusabEliabJoahJawadJinJhonAyoubJoao
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joab | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2304 |
| 2024 | 45 | #2835 |
| 2023 | 40 | #3055 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3003 |
| 2021 | 42 | #2918 |
| 2020 | 25 | #4020 |
| 2019 | 31 | #3571 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3446 |
| 2017 | 29 | #3678 |
| 2016 | 30 | #3596 |
| 2015 | 33 | #3365 |
| 2014 | 23 | #4263 |
| 2013 | 35 | #3122 |
| 2012 | 17 | #5256 |
| 2011 | 21 | #4509 |
| 2010 | 16 | #5478 |
| 2009 | 21 | #4582 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4145 |
| 2007 | 31 | #3444 |
| 2006 | 20 | #4520 |
| 2005 | 17 | #4824 |
| 2004 | 20 | #4264 |
| 2003 | 16 | #4815 |
| 2002 | 22 | #3794 |
| 2001 | 16 | #4676 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Joab?
In official American birth records, the name Joab first appeared in 1965 (over 60 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 60 years.
Is Joab a popular boy name?
Joab ranked #2316 among boys in 2025 with 60 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3365.
When was the name Joab most popular?
Joab peaked in 2025, when 60 American boys received the name (ranked #2304 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Joab?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,000 newborn American boys was named Joab. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.