Total births
411
Boys' name · since 1970
Yoav
411 babies named Yoav in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2008. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12655
- among boys today
- 411
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Yoav is the #12655 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 411 recorded since 1970.
Social Security Administration records show Yoav recorded 411 times among boys since 1970, holding rank #12655 nationally today, ahead of 11% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #12655 among boys today
- 411 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
- 11% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Yoav is currently the #12655 boys' name in America, more common than 11% of boys - 411 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #12655
- among boys today
- 411
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other boys
Yoav vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12655
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 11% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Yoav was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
29 babies were named Yoav in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Yoav compares
411 Top 48% higher than 52% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Yoav's all-time total is 12% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Yoav | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 411 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 29 | 23 | 22,252 |
Yoav's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Yoav's full recorded timeline at 2006, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1970, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 29 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Yoav at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#12,655
Active since
1970
Yoav popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 29
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Yoav by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Yoav's strongest decade.
166 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Yoav births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 35
1980s
35 births
- 1990s 35
1990s
35 births
- 2000s
2000s
166 births
- 2010s
2010s
111 births
- 2020s 54
2020s
54 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 166 births (40% of all-time use).
Yoav by state
Where Yoav concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 48 | 11.7% |
| #2 | California | | 6 | 1.5% |
New York share of Yoav's total US births 11.7%
Even split
48 of 411 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Yoav? ▼
411 babies have been named Yoav since 1970. It currently ranks #12655 among boys. The peak year was 2008 with 29 births.
When was Yoav most popular? ▼
Yoav was most popular in the 2000s decade with 166 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Yoav most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Yoav are New York (48 births), California (6 births).
How long has the name Yoav been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Yoav since 1970 -- 56 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Yoav? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Yoan, Yoandri, Yoandry, Yoandy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Yoav's data
- Yoav's decade-level peak was the 2000s (166 total births); usage has since declined to 54 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Yoavs (48 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Yoav
Nearby Names Like Yoav
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Yoav
Yoan Boy
#3486 526 births
Yoandri Boy
#13284 224 births
Yoandry Boy
54 births
Yoandy Boy
45 births
Yoann Boy
30 births
Compare Yoav side by side: Yoav vs Yoan Yoav vs Yoandri Yoav vs Yoandry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Yoav
Vishal #12654
1,734 births · Peak 2003
Vinay #12656
1,139 births · Peak 2003
Gavan #12653
987 births · Peak 2003
Teron #12657
1,007 births · Peak 1994
Django #12652
297 births · Peak 2011
Montrel #12658
1,001 births · Peak 1993
Deshone #12651
288 births · Peak 1994
Aquarius #12659
183 births · Peak 1996
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Yoav: #12655 Boys' Name - 411 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/yoav. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Yoav draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.