Akiva
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- a-KEE-va
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,964 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,466 for boys
Akiva is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “holder of the heel”. In 2025 it ranked 1,964th for boys in the UK (13 babies) and 1,466th for boys in the US (121 babies).
What does Akiva mean?
Hebrew: Aramaic form of Jacob
“holder of the heel”
Rabbi Akiva (c. 50-135 CE) was one of the most important early teachers of Jewish law.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Akiva a girl's or a boy's name?
Akiva is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 boys in the UK and 121 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Akiva in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,964th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 13 about 1 in 23,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 31% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 13 boys in the UK were named Akiva, making it the 1,964th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,052nd. Its busiest year was 2023, with 15 boys.
Half of all the boys named Akiva in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,894th in England and Wales.
Akiva in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #1,964 |
| 2024 | 10 | #2,328 |
| 2023 | 15 | #1,715 |
| 2022 | 12 | #1,999 |
| 2021 | 14 | #1,791 |
| 2020 | 11 | #2,052 |
| 2019 | 11 | #2,102 |
| 2018 | 7 | #2,823 |
| 2017 | 9 | #2,461 |
| 2016 | 4 | #4,214 |
| 2015 | 10 | #2,260 |
| 2014 | 12 | #1,929 |
| 2013 | 9 | #2,334 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,382 |
| 2011 | 7 | #2,736 |
| 2010 | 7 | #2,775 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,241 |
| 2008 | 9 | #2,212 |
| 2007 | 9 | #2,139 |
| 2006 | 10 | #1,845 |
| 2005 | 8 | #2,090 |
| 2004 | 8 | #1,983 |
| 2003 | 7 | #2,054 |
| 2002 | 11 | #1,384 |
| 2001 | 5 | #2,326 |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,237 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
How popular is Akiva in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,466th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 121 about 1 in 14,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 121 boys in the US were named Akiva, making it the 1,466th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,262nd. Its busiest year was 2020, with 145 boys. It first appears in the records in 1961.
Half of all the boys named Akiva in the US since 1880 were born between 2001 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Akiva in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #1,466 |
| 2024 | 120 | #1,494 |
| 2023 | 126 | #1,440 |
| 2022 | 113 | #1,566 |
| 2021 | 109 | #1,583 |
| 2020 | 145 | #1,262 |
| 2019 | 79 | #1,886 |
| 2018 | 83 | #1,822 |
| 2017 | 99 | #1,612 |
| 2016 | 94 | #1,675 |
| 2015 | 71 | #2,019 |
| 2014 | 87 | #1,730 |
| 2013 | 94 | #1,623 |
| 2012 | 76 | #1,890 |
| 2011 | 74 | #1,885 |
| 2010 | 78 | #1,849 |
| 2009 | 80 | #1,838 |
| 2008 | 87 | #1,736 |
| 2007 | 59 | #2,235 |
| 2006 | 51 | #2,397 |
| 2005 | 71 | #1,810 |
| 2004 | 51 | #2,234 |
| 2003 | 45 | #2,345 |
| 2002 | 43 | #2,368 |
| 2001 | 57 | #1,908 |
| 2000 | 39 | #2,421 |
| 1999 | 48 | #1,992 |
| 1998 | 37 | #2,346 |
| 1997 | 46 | #1,961 |
| 1996 | 36 | #2,249 |
| 1995 | 31 | #2,439 |
| 1994 | 28 | #2,613 |
| 1993 | 31 | #2,393 |
| 1992 | 24 | #2,828 |
| 1991 | 27 | #2,538 |
| 1990 | 21 | #2,946 |
| 1989 | 21 | #2,896 |
| 1988 | 21 | #2,677 |
| 1987 | 18 | #2,834 |
| 1986 | 15 | #3,128 |
| 1985 | 20 | #2,503 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,528 |
| 1983 | 16 | #2,786 |
| 1982 | 12 | #3,481 |
| 1981 | 13 | #3,219 |
| 1980 | 22 | #2,284 |
| 1979 | 13 | #3,167 |
| 1978 | 18 | #2,472 |
| 1977 | 13 | #3,036 |
| 1976 | 12 | #3,093 |
| 1975 | 14 | #2,749 |
| 1974 | 9 | #3,556 |
| 1973 | 30 | #1,586 |
| 1972 | 9 | #3,342 |
| 1971 | 7 | #3,961 |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 5 | #4,063 |
Names like Akiva
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Avi, Aarav, Aviraj, Atharva, Avyaan, Advik, Avitaj, Yuvraj, Krishiv, Shivansh, Ivaan, Avram
More Hebrew names
Noah, Isabella, Elijah, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Samuel, Elias
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Akiva: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/akiva, updated 20 October 2026.