UK boy's name
Job
A Hebrew name meaning "persecuted" or "afflicted".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Job is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Job popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 8 births.
This profile covers 91 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 90 living people in the UK are called Job. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Job ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 8 boys were registered as Job.
- • About 90 living people in the UK are estimated to have Job as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4001
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
1999
8 births
Estimated living
90
2026
Meaning
What does Job mean?
The name Job is believed to have originated from the Hebrew word "iyov," which means "persecuted" or "afflicted one." Its roots can be traced back to ancient Semitic cultures, and the name appears in various ancient texts and religious scriptures.
The Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible is one of the earliest known references to the name. It tells the story of a righteous man named Job who endures immense suffering and tests of his faith. The book is believed to have been written between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE, highlighting the antiquity of the name.
In the New Testament, the name Job is mentioned in the Epistle of James, which draws parallels between Job's perseverance and the trials faced by early Christian believers. This further solidified the name's association with endurance and faith in the face of adversity.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Job was Job ben Nun, a biblical figure who lived during the time of Moses and was one of the twelve spies sent to explore the land of Canaan. He is celebrated for his unwavering faith and courage.
Throughout history, the name Job has been borne by various notable individuals, including Job of Prokopion (4th century CE), a Christian martyr and saint; Job of Manyava (14th century), a Russian monk and saint; Job Ludolf (1624-1704), a German scholar and orientalist; Job Barter (1650-1705), an English clergyman and writer; and Job Harriman (1789-1865), an American businessman and politician.
The name Job has been interpreted as a symbol of patience, perseverance, and unwavering faith in the face of adversity. Its biblical and religious connotations have contributed to its enduring popularity across various cultures and time periods, making it a name with a rich historical and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Job over time
The chart below shows babies named Job registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Job, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Job by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Job was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4001 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4348 | 14 | 4 |
| 2000s | #2702 | 55 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1982 | 18 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Job
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Job: questions and answers
How popular is the name Job in the UK right now?
In 2022, Job was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Job most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 8 babies registered as Job in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Job?
A Hebrew name meaning "persecuted" or "afflicted".
How many people are called Job in the UK?
A total of 91 babies have been registered as Job across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.