Joab

♂ Boy

Pronounced JOH-ab /ˈd͡ʒoʊ.æb/Medium

Meaning: Yahweh is fatherMedium

In 30 seconds: Joab is a Biblical boy's name meaning 'Yahweh is father'. It belongs to the old Hebrew naming tradition of the Scriptures.

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Origin MediumBiblical

MeaningYahweh is father

U.S. rank (2025)#2319 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births60 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2025

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,000

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Joab comes from the Biblical tradition and means 'Yahweh is father', a declaration of faith built into the name itself. It appears in the Hebrew Scriptures and survives in forms such as the Hebrew Yoav and the Latinized Ioab. The variant Joabe shows a lightly softened spelling of the same name.

The name has a short, firm sound and keeps close to its Hebrew root through the form Yoav, which is still used today.

Did you know? Joab appears in the Old Testament, which helped preserve it across centuries of Jewish and Christian naming traditions.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Joab — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

IoabYoavJoabe

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Joab
biblical commander of King David's army in the Hebrew Bible

If you like Joab…

Joel— Another Biblical Hebrew name built around the name of God.

Shilo— a similarly popular pick

Zuriel— shares Joab's Biblical roots

Hiram— lands in the same popularity range

Ezriel— a fellow Biblical choice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Joab mean?

Joab is usually explained as meaning ' Yahweh is father' and is most often linked with Biblical tradition.

How do you pronounce Joab?

It's commonly said JOH-ab /ˈd͡ʒoʊ.æb/.

Is Joab a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Joab is used as a boy name.

How popular is Joab?

In 2024, Joab ranked #2845 in the U.S. for boys, with 45 births recorded.