Joab is a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh is father". In the Old Testament Joab is King David's nephew and the ruthless commander of his army, a loyal but hard man who was finally executed under Solomon. Rare for centuries, the name is now gaining a little ground among families who like unusual biblical choices: Joab has risen from number 3399 in 2015 to number 2319 in 2025, its best US rank so far.