Akiva is a Hebrew male given name that means "my father is He". It comes from the Akkadian word "Akkûm" which means "father", combined with the Hebrew word "Av" also meaning "father". The name has a long history and appears in various forms throughout Jewish culture.
The most notable figure associated with the name Akiva is Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, who lived during the 3rd century CE. Known as Reish Lakish, he was one of the most important sages of the Mishnaic period and a leading member of the school of thought known as Beit Hillel. His legal rulings and interpretations of Jewish law are still studied today.
Another notable figure with the name Akiva is Akiva ben Yosef (also known as Rabbi Akiva), who lived during the 1st century CE. He was a leading sage of his generation and played a significant role in the development of Rabbinic Judaism. According to tradition, he was one of the few Jews who did not participate in the revolt against Rome in 66 CE but later became a prominent figure in the Bar Kokhba revolt.
The name Akiva has also been used by several notable figures throughout history including Israeli politician Akiva Eldar and American-Israeli chess grandmaster Akiva Friedman. Today, it continues to be popular among Jews as both a first name and a middle name, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.
The name Akiva had its peak popularity between the years 1995 to 2008 with an average of 8 births per year during this period. However, the number of births has been fluctuating since then, with a total of 138 recorded over these years.