Proto-Semitic origin
Source-reportedMeaning: “wolf”
Inherited from Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb-, with metathesis.
Sources for this account (2)
- Wiktionary: זאבCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- Wikipedia: Ze'evCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
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A name. A world of connections.
“wolf”
Language context for this entry: Hebrew
[zeˈʔeːv] · Hebrew (Tiberian)
01 / Meaning & origin
זאב is a masculine given name documented in Hebrew. English Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb-. English Wikipedia gives the meaning “wolf”.
2 source accounts
Meaning: “wolf”
Inherited from Proto-Semitic *ḏiʔb-, with metathesis.
源自原始閃米特語 *ðiʾb- (“狼”)。
02 / Across borders
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1 country with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.
Selected country
Statistics + language records
Israel CBS — current first names of persons born 1949-2024, population group: Jews (יהודים) (release 391/2025, table 1), 2024: 91 male (rank 151). Documented as a given name in Hebrew.
Explore Israel1 of 1 country
03 / By the numbers
Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.
1949–2024 Spelling: זאב
Recorded category male
Hover to explore a year. Use arrow keys when a chart point has focus.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel · Israel CBS — current first names of persons born 1949-2024, population group: Jews (יהודים) (release 391/2025, table 1)
No rounding stated; counts are integers (valueStatus=observed). Thousands separators in the total column are removed when parsing.
Per million is unavailable: this source has no matching published total.
| Year | People | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 220 | 38 | observed |
| 1950 | 225 | 38 | observed |
| 1951 | 223 | 38 | observed |
| 1952 | 222 | 40 | observed |
| 1953 | 194 | 43 | observed |
| 1954 | 189 | 45 | observed |
| 1955 | 173 | 50 | observed |
| 1956 | 151 | 62 | observed |
| 1957 | 134 | 65 | observed |
| 1958 | 134 | 63 | observed |
| 1959 | 124 | 69 | observed |
| 1960 | 126 | 72 | observed |
| 1961 | 103 | 83 | observed |
| 1962 | 124 | 73 | observed |
| 1963 | 123 | 73 | observed |
| 1964 | 107 | 86 | observed |
| 1965 | 98 | 92 | observed |
| 1966 | 105 | 88 | observed |
| 1967 | 71 | 114 | observed |
| 1968 | 106 | 93 | observed |
| 1969 | 97 | 103 | observed |
| 1970 | 108 | 101 | observed |
| 1971 | 104 | 108 | observed |
| 1972 | 109 | 106 | observed |
| 1973 | 100 | 109 | observed |
| 1974 | 90 | 121 | observed |
| 1975 | 85 | 133 | observed |
| 1976 | 100 | 121 | observed |
| 1977 | 71 | 146 | observed |
| 1978 | 83 | 134 | observed |
| 1979 | 93 | 128 | observed |
| 1980 | 69 | 153 | observed |
| 1981 | 62 | 163 | observed |
| 1982 | 91 | 137 | observed |
| 1983 | 68 | 170 | observed |
| 1984 | 68 | 162 | observed |
| 1985 | 71 | 164 | observed |
| 1986 | 59 | 177 | observed |
| 1987 | 61 | 176 | observed |
| 1988 | 51 | 196 | observed |
| 1989 | 45 | 202 | observed |
| 1990 | 41 | 207 | observed |
| 1991 | 40 | 203 | observed |
| 1992 | 54 | 175 | observed |
| 1993 | 39 | 206 | observed |
| 1994 | 43 | 192 | observed |
| 1995 | 39 | 203 | observed |
| 1996 | 43 | 188 | observed |
| 1997 | 45 | 194 | observed |
| 1998 | 50 | 186 | observed |
| 1999 | 45 | 194 | observed |
| 2000 | 54 | 180 | observed |
| 2001 | 65 | 160 | observed |
| 2002 | 65 | 165 | observed |
| 2003 | 49 | 198 | observed |
| 2004 | 63 | 177 | observed |
| 2005 | 67 | 169 | observed |
| 2006 | 66 | 171 | observed |
| 2007 | 52 | 195 | observed |
| 2008 | 59 | 189 | observed |
| 2009 | 68 | 180 | observed |
| 2010 | 63 | 181 | observed |
| 2011 | 69 | 181 | observed |
| 2012 | 82 | 160 | observed |
| 2013 | 57 | 198 | observed |
| 2014 | 73 | 180 | observed |
| 2015 | 77 | 178 | observed |
| 2016 | 72 | 180 | observed |
| 2017 | 61 | 197 | observed |
| 2018 | 68 | 189 | observed |
| 2019 | 80 | 171 | observed |
| 2020 | 90 | 160 | observed |
| 2021 | 66 | 188 | observed |
| 2022 | 85 | 165 | observed |
| 2023 | 78 | 170 | observed |
| 2024 | 91 | 151 | observed |
Statistics count the spelling “זאב” as recorded by the publisher. When a spelling has several independent origins, the counts are not split between them. Counts measure people. Gaps are years without a published value, not zeros.
Rates per million are unavailable for this series because no compatible denominator has been imported.
Released 2025-12-08 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · CBS-Open-License (Israel Central Bureau of Statistics Open License; commercial use permitted)
Read our methodology04 / Through time
No historical attestations or sourced notable bearers are recorded yet. Historical databases are being evaluated for reuse permission; nothing is listed until a record can be cited.
A little story to keep
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06 / Behind the facts
Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.
Israel CBS — current first names of persons born 1949-2024, population group: Jews (יהודים) (release 391/2025, table 1)
Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel (הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה) · CBS-Open-License (Israel Central Bureau of Statistics Open License; commercial use permitted) · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.