יָאִיר
Yair means “he will illuminate”
Yair is a boy's name of Biblical origin.
Jair the Gileadite judged Israel for 22 years, according to the Book of Judges.
- In Hebrew
- יָאִיר
- On an ID card
- יאיר
- In English letters
- Yair
- Other English spellings
- Jair
- Meaning
- He will illuminate
- Origin
- Biblical
- Given to
- Boys
- Gematria value
- 221
27,387 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 carry the name Yair.
- 5 of them are women and girls, and 27,382 are men and boys.
- 933 of them were born in 2010, more than in any other year.
- Carriers born 2020 to 2024: 2,742, against 4,371 born 2010 to 2014, so its share of births is shrinking.
Central Bureau of Statistics register, April 2025. People who changed their name are counted under the one they carry now, and a year with fewer than five shows as zero.
This is how Yair is counted in each population group.
These are the people born 1949 to 2024 who carry the spelling יאיר today, in each population group and sex the register lists for it. The rank counts the names given in 2024, and 1 is the most given. A count under 5 is not published, so the table says “fewer than 5”, and 0 means nobody.
| Population group | Carriers | Born in 2024 | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish girls | 5 | 0 | – |
| Jewish boys | 27,382 | 540 | 30 of 541 |
In 2024, Yair ranked 30 of 541 among the names given to Jewish boys.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics table of current first names of people born 1949 to 2024, by sex and population group (release 391/2025 of 8 December 2025, read on 2 November 2026). Groups and sexes with no row for this spelling are left out.
These six names are close to Yair in theme or origin.
These are the questions people ask about the name Yair.
What does the name Yair mean?
Yair means “he will illuminate”. Yair is a boy's name of Biblical origin. Jair the Gileadite judged Israel for 22 years, according to the Book of Judges.
Is Yair a boy's name or a girl's name?
Yair is mainly a boy's name. Of the 27,387 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 who carry it, 5 are women and girls and 27,382 are men and boys.
How do you write Yair in Hebrew?
Yair is written יאיר in Hebrew. With vowel points it is written יָאִיר.
How many people in Israel are named Yair?
27,387 Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 carry Yair today. The most were born in 2010. In 2024, Yair ranked 30 of 541 among the names given to Jewish boys.
Counts are Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 who carry the name today, from the Central Bureau of Statistics register of April 2025. Meanings follow the standard etymologies of Hebrew name references, and where nobody can be sure the page says so.