Ayoub is the Arabic form of Job (Ayyub), the prophet famous for his patience in suffering who appears in both the Bible and the Quran. The Hebrew original is of uncertain meaning and is usually explained as "persecuted" or "he who returns to God". The spelling Ayoub is typical of Morocco, Algeria and other French-influenced regions. In the United States it remains rare: Ayoub ranked number 4408 in 2000 and has risen slowly to number 2232 in 2025, its highest rank to date.