Joab

Joab - A very unique male name

Joab appeared on the charts for the first time in 1991 on position #2878. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Joab and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Joab? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Joab. The baby boy name Joab was given to 19 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2484 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 77,173 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Joab peaked in popularity 13 years ago in 2013 on position 2397.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Joab, 1-5?

Joab is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Joab is currently topping the baby name charts in Tennessee at position #981 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,411.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Joab is where you live.

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Joab origin and meaning

Hebrew, Biblical

Hebrew Yo'av, 'Yahweh is father'

Joab is a biblical name, borne by David's military commander Joab, nephew of David. In modern US data it appeared in 1991 in very small numbers and is rising.

Attested etymology

Joab is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Joab, pop culture references for the name Joab and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Joab

We've found the following names that sound similar to Joab, sorted by popularity.

Joseph / Jacob / Jeff / Jakob / Joesph / Jacoby / Josef / Jakobe / Jaycob / Jacobi /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Joab

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Joab a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Joab?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

JOH-ab · /ˈdʒoʊæb/
The syllable table gives 1, but the spoken name has two syllables: JOH-ab.

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Joabe — Portuguese form

Famous bearers

• Joab — Biblical commander of David's army, in the Books of Samuel (Biblical) Historical

Style

Biblical

Why parents choose it

Joab is a short, rare biblical name with real narrative weight.

Worth knowing

• The table's 1-syllable count is wrong for the spoken name, and Joab's biblical story is morally complicated.