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Home โ€บ Baby Names Directory โ€บ Yaphet

Yaphet

โ™‚ Boy

How to Pronounce Yaphet

Pronounced YAH-fet /หˆjษ‘.fษ›t/Medium

Meaning: Yaphet is a form of Japheth, a biblical name from the Hebrew Yefet, tied to a root meaning to enlarge or expand; in Genesis Japheth is a son of Noah, and the name is best known today from the actor Yaphet Kotto.Medium

In 30 seconds: Yaphet is a form of the biblical Japheth, from Hebrew meaning expansion. It appeared for a small number of United States boys around 1972 (said YAH-fet).
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Origin MediumHebrew, English
MeaningYaphet is a form of Japheth, a biblical name from the Hebrew Yefet, tied to a root meaning to enlarge or expand; in Genesis Japheth is a son of Noah, and the name is best known today from the actor Yaphet Kotto.
U.S. rank (2021)#12078 โ†— Rising
2021 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)โ‰ˆ 261

Popularity in the U.S. ยท SSA data

peak 197219712021

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

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

History & Origin

Yaphet is a Hebrew biblical name, a form of Japheth meaning expansion, that appeared rarely for American boys. Its visibility owes much to the actor Yaphet Kotto, and it touched a small high around 1972.

Given to only about twenty boys a year at most, it stayed very uncommon across its run. A boy named Yaphet at that peak would be in his early fifties today. The name pairs deep biblical roots with a fresh, uncommon sound.

Did you know? Yaphet reflects the Hebrew Yefet, or Japheth, a son of Noah in Genesis, and reached wider notice through the actor Yaphet Kotto, known for Alien and the series Homicide: Life on the Street.
Overall data confidence 70%
References - Yaphet โ€” Form of Japheth, Hebrew Yefet, expansion; borne by actor Yaphet Kotto

Variations

JaphethYafetJaffet

Nicknames

YaphFetYah

Famous Bearers

  • โ˜…Yaphet Kotto (1939-2021)
    American actor known for Alien and Homicide: Life on the Street

If you like Yaphetโ€ฆ

Japhethโ€” the standard biblical spelling of the name
Jethroโ€” a like biblical Hebrew boy's name
Elonโ€” a like short Hebrew boy's name
Gershonโ€” a like biblical Hebrew name

Explore names like Yaphet

By themerarehebrewheritagebiblical

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Yaphet mean?

It is a form of Japheth, from the Hebrew meaning expansion or enlargement.

How do you pronounce Yaphet?

It is said YAH-fet /หˆjษ‘.fษ›t/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Yaphet a boy or girl name?

Yaphet is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Yaphet?

It has always been rare, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the early nineteen-seventies.

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