Declining since 2022, #8,910 for boys today.
Popularity of Jabes since 2001
Babies named Jabes per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2003, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Jabes's real moment was 2023.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 83 |
| 2010s | 83 |
| 2020s | 44 |
Meaning & origin
Jabes is a modern and uncommon name that first appeared on the U.S. Social Security records in 2001. Its precise origin is unclear: it may be a respelling of the biblical name Jabez, which is traditionally associated with the Hebrew meaning 'sorrow' or 'he will cause pain', or it could be a contemporary invention drawing on popular phonetic elements. The name reached its peak rank of 8910 in 2023, but its trajectory has been falling since 2022. As of 2025, it is given to roughly 1 in every 213,510 boys, making it a distinctive choice. Jabes has no recorded popularity in any specific U.S. state, reflecting its very rare usage nationwide. For parents drawn to names with a biblical echo but a modern sound, Jabes offers a unique alternative to more common choices like Jacob or James.
Jabes may be a modern spelling variant of the biblical name Jabez, which appears in the Old Testament (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). The meaning of Jabez is uncertain; some sources derive it from Hebrew יַעְבֵּץ (ya'betz), possibly meaning 'sorrow' or 'he makes sorrowful'. Alternatively, Jabes could be a contemporary invented name, blending sounds from names like Jacob or James with the fashionable -es suffix. It first appeared in U.S. records in 2001, suggesting a modern coinage.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Jabez, Jaybes
Sibling names for Jabes
Names that share Jabes's style, for a brother or sister.
