Joab
Boy name · #2316 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.