Japhet
Meaningenlargement · Hebrew form of Japheth
- US rank
- #7,194
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #5,355 in 1979
11 babies were named Japhet in the US in 2025. It has climbed 3,411 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1979–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Japhet you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Japhet
Japhet Tanganga
English association football player
Choose Japhet and your child shares a first name with Japhet Tanganga, an English association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Japhet, like who?” Japhet Tanganga's Wikipedia article is available in 24 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Japhet Tanganga on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 156,250 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Japhet, 11 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Japhet would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryJaphet first shows up in US birth records in 1979, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 46 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 1979, when it reached #5,355.
- TrendJaphet has climbed 3,411 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #7,194. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- MeaningJaphet is a Hebrew form of Japheth, which means “enlargement”. Our records link it to Arabic and Hebrew roots.
About the name Japhet
Japhet is a boy name of Arabic and Hebrew origin meaning “enlargement”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-het”. US birth records list Japhet for boys from 1979 to 2025, in 33 of those 47 years. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked #5,355 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #7,194, with 11 babies.
Origin:Arabic namesHebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.5 | 285,714 boys |
| 1980s | 0.9 | 1,063,830 boys |
| 1990s | 0.8 | 1,219,512 boys |
| 2000s | 5.1 | 197,239 boys |
| 2010s | 4.8 | 207,469 boys |
| 2020s | 4.7 | 212,014 boys |
Other spellings of Japhet
More Arabic boy names
- Boy name: Caleb · dog, faithful
- Boy name: Silas · of the forest
- Boy name: Aaron · possibly exalted
- Boy name: Xavier · new house
- Boy name: Jasper · treasurer
- Boy name: Malcolm · devotee of Saint Columba
- Unisex name: Cairo · the victorious
- Boy name: Ibrahim · father of many
Questions about the name Japhet
What does the name Japhet mean?
Japhet means “enlargement” in Hebrew, as a form of Japheth.
What is the origin of the name Japhet?
Japhet has Arabic, Hebrew roots in our records. Other Arabic names include Caleb, Silas, Aaron.
Is Japhet a boy or girl name?
Japhet is a boy name.
How popular is the name Japhet?
Japhet ranked #7,194 for US boys in 2025, given to 11 babies. Its best year was 1979 (#5,355).