Yankel
Hebrew · Boy · 2 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Yankel
Yankel is a Yiddish diminutive of Yankev (Jacob), derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov, meaning "he who supplants" or "heel-holder." The name has Hebrew linguistic roots and carries the same meaning as its source name Jacob.
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Etymology
Yankel is a Yiddish diminutive of Yankev (Jacob), derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov, meaning "he who supplants" or "heel-holder." The name has Hebrew linguistic roots and carries the same meaning as its source name Jacob.
Yankel is primarily used among Ashkenazi Jewish communities and became particularly common in Eastern European Jewish populations; it represents a distinctly Jewish cultural adaptation of the biblical name Jacob and reflects the linguistic traditions of Yiddish-speaking Jewish diaspora communities.
Yankel currently ranks #13,834 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2022.
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Sibling name ideas
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