Given name
Joab
“to praise God”
Joab is used as a given name. One Hebrew interpretation is “to praise God.”
Original Hebrewיואב
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “to praise God.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From the Hebrew noun 'ab (אב), “father.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1965. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Joab appears in 2 Samuel 2:18, 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 11:15-17 and 5 other passages.
- 2 Samuel 2:18
- 2 Samuel 3:27
- 2 Samuel 11:15-17
- 2 Samuel 18:14
- 1 Kings 2:28-35
- 1 Kings 1:50
- 1 Chronicles 4:14
- Ezra 2:6
From biblical name research
Joab through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,000
- 1,000 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 60 babies
- 2025
- 60
- #2,319 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +55%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 60 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,319 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 55.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 840 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 36
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Abigailshares a root
- Abramshares a root
- Abnershares a root
- Abielshares a root
- Jobshares a root
- Abimaelshares a root
- Abishaishares a root
- Abbashares a root
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- Abijahshares a root
- Abishares a root
- Abinershares a root
- Abiahshares a root
- Absalomshares a root
- Abiudshares a root
- Abiramshares a root
- Abinadabshares a root
- Abiashares a root
- Abihailshares a root
- Abiezershares a root
- Abidanshares a root
- Abidashares a root
- Abitubshares a root
- Abitalshares a root
- Abishurshares a root
- Abishuashares a root
- Abishalomshares a root
- Abishagshares a root
- Abinoamshares a root
- Abimelechshares a root
- Abijamshares a root
- Abihudshares a root
- Abihushares a root
- Abiatharshares a root
- Abiasaphshares a root
- Abi-Albonshares a root
- Ahabshares a root
People named Joab
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
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