Yakov - A very unique male name
Yakov at a glance
Yakov is ranked #1094 among boy baby names in 2025, with 146 births in 2025. It peaked in 2024 at #1053 and first appeared on the charts in 1958.
- Rank in 2025
- #1094
- Births in 2025
- 146
- Peak year
- 2024 (#1053)
- First appeared
- 1958
- Trend
- #1193 in 2020 → #1094 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 10,043 boys
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 10,043 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Yakov peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 1053.
Famous with this name
Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Bentsvi
Yakov Shamshin
How would you rate Yakov, 1-5?
Yakov is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Yakov is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #152 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #409.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 Yakov is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Yakov origin and meaning
Russian and Slavic, from Hebrew
Form of Jacob: traditionally 'heel-holder, supplanter'
Yakov is the Russian and East Slavic form of Jacob, transliterated from Cyrillic. US use, steady since 1958, reflects Jewish and Eastern European heritage naming, and the name reached a recent high in 2024.
Attested etymology
Yakov is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Yakov, pop culture references for the name Yakov and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Yakov
We've found the following names that sound similar to Yakov, sorted by popularity.
Yusuf / Yosef / Yousef / Yaakov / Youssef / Yusef / Yousuf / Yousif / Yoseph / Yaqub /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)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1094 |
| 2024 | 1053 |
| 2023 | 1202 |
| 2022 | 1162 |
| 2021 | 1237 |
| 2020 | 1193 |
| 2019 | 1236 |
| 2018 | 1126 |
| 2017 | 1205 |
| 2016 | 1205 |
| 2015 | 1217 |
| 2014 | 1352 |
| 2013 | 1232 |
| 2012 | 1296 |
| 2011 | 1209 |
| 2010 | 1389 |
| 2009 | 1156 |
| 2008 | 1342 |
| 2007 | 1320 |
| 2006 | 1406 |
| 2005 | 1355 |
| 2004 | 1431 |
| 2003 | 1443 |
| 2002 | 1481 |
| 2001 | 1470 |
| 2000 | 1513 |
| 1999 | 1724 |
| 1998 | 1335 |
| 1997 | 1467 |
| 1996 | 1362 |
| 1995 | 1487 |
| 1994 | 1377 |
| 1993 | 1538 |
| 1992 | 1320 |
| 1991 | 1386 |
| 1990 | 1782 |
| 1989 | 1641 |
| 1988 | 1712 |
| 1987 | 1381 |
| 1986 | 1575 |
| 1985 | 1438 |
| 1984 | 1457 |
| 1983 | 1933 |
| 1982 | 1536 |
| 1981 | 1504 |
| 1980 | 1464 |
| 1979 | 1901 |
| 1978 | 1707 |
| 1977 | 1687 |
| 1976 | 2264 |
| 1974 | 1498 |
| 1973 | 1534 |
| 1972 | 1635 |
| 1970 | 1521 |
| 1969 | 1865 |
| 1959 | 1783 |
| 1958 | 1403 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| New York | 152 |
| New Jersey | 409 |
Even more about Yakov
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 Yakov 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 Yakov?
2 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.Pronunciation
YAH-kov · /ˈjɑkɔf/
Around the world
- Ya'akov (Hebrew) — The Hebrew original
- Yakiv (Ukrainian) — The Ukrainian cognate
- Jacob (English) — The English cognate
Spellings and nicknames
- Yaakov — Fuller transliteration preferred in Orthodox Jewish use
- Iakov — Alternative transliteration, not a separate SSA entry
Nicknames: Yasha
Famous bearers
- Yakov Smirnoff — Ukrainian-born American comedian known for his Cold War-era stand-up (b. 1951) Contemporary
Style
BiblicalInternationalClassic
Why parents choose it
Yakov is a heritage form of Jacob — instantly rooted for families with Russian or Jewish ancestry, and distinct from the English Jacob.
Worth knowing
- Transliteration splits between Yakov and Yaakov
