NameRealm
Akiva

Akiva: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“to protect; shelter”
Origin
Hebrew
Say it
ah-KEE-vuh · 3 syllables
Used for
Boys (95% of all uses)

Akiva is a Hebrew name traditionally linked to a root meaning 'to protect' or 'shelter.' It is especially associated with the Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva.

Hebrew namesNames meaning protectorNames meaning strengthNames meaning faithClassic namesBiblical namesInternational names

How popular is Akiva?

202435.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Akiva in 2024116

2024 rank#1,521 boys

Peak year2020

Total US babies since 18802,806

Akiva is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Akiva

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Noahrest; comfort · Hebrew
  • Jamessupplanter · Hebrew
  • Elijahmy God is Yahweh · Hebrew
  • JohnYahweh is gracious · Hebrew
  • Michaelwho is like God? · Hebrew
  • Benjaminson of the right hand · Hebrew
  • Levijoined, attached · Hebrew
  • DanielGod is my judge · Hebrew

Akiva questions

What does the name Akiva mean?

Akiva means "to protect; shelter". It comes from Hebrew. Akiva is a Hebrew name traditionally linked to a root meaning 'to protect' or 'shelter.' It is especially associated with the Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva.

Is Akiva a boy or girl name?

Akiva is mainly a boy's name in US records (95% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Akiva?

116 US babies were named Akiva in 2024. Its peak year was 2020.

How do you pronounce Akiva?

Akiva is usually pronounced ah-KEE-vuh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.