The first name Yakov
A boy’s name.
2 syllables Male
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 13 boys were named Yakov, making it the 1,897th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2011, with 22 births (#1,158).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Yakov with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Yakov at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 153 boys born in the United States were named Yakov, the 1,286th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 172 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Yakov
8 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Yakov YurovskyChief executioner of Tsar Nicholas II (1878–1938)
- Yakov KedmiFormer Israeli politician, born 1947
- Yakov MalkielAmerican linguist, etymologist and philologist, 1914–1998
- IanisSigma (Sobă)First child of Josef Stalin (1907–1943)
- Jakov GotovacCroatian composer (1895-1982)
- Jakov GojunCroatian handball player, born 1986
- Jascha HorensteinAmerican conductor, 1898–1973
- Jacques NovicowFrench-language sociologist, economist and businessperson (1849–1912)
Questions
- How popular is the name Yakov?
- In 2025, 13 boys born in England and Wales were named Yakov, ranking 1,897th. Its peak was 2011, with 22 births.
- Is Yakov a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 3,353 US babies named Yakov since 1880 were boys.
- When was Yakov most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 172 babies were named Yakov, its highest rank at 1,195th.