First names in Hebrew

First name Akiva: meaning, origin and its Hebrew spelling

עקיבא

Gematria value: 183

Its spelling

In Hebrew, Akiva is written עקיבא

Meaning and origin

What does Akiva mean?

Meaning: "the one who holds the heel", like Jacob
Origin: Aramaic

Akiva is considered the Aramaic form of Yaakov, Jacob. It therefore keeps the same meaning, "the one who holds the heel" (Genesis 25:26). It is the name of the most famous of the masters of the Mishnah.

Gematria

Akiva = 183

In Hebrew, every letter is also a number. Added together, the letters of the name give its value: this is gematria. עקיבא has 5 letters:

• עthe letter Ayin70
• קthe letter Kuf100
• יthe letter Yod10
• בthe letter Bet2
• אthe letter Aleph1
• Total183

The verse of the name

From the letter Ayin to the letter Aleph

An ancient custom gives each person a verse: the one that begins with the first letter of their name and ends with the last. For Akiva, from ע to א:

עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם וְרָחֵל בָּאָה עִם־הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ כִּי רֹעָה הִוא׃

“He was still speaking with them when Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.”

Genesis 29:9

The book of your first name

Akiva, in nine pages

• Akiva, in Hebrew
• Letter by letter
• The number of your name
• The verse of your name
• The portrait of Akiva
• Akiva, day to day
• What tradition says about names
• The sources

Frequently asked

Akiva in three answers

How do you write Akiva in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, Akiva is written עקיבא.

What is the gematria value of Akiva?
Written עקיבא, Akiva is worth 183: the letter Ayin (70) + the letter Kuf (100) + the letter Yod (10) + the letter Bet (2) + the letter Aleph (1).

What does Akiva mean?
The one who holds the heel", like Jacob (origin: Aramaic). Akiva is considered the Aramaic form of Yaakov, Jacob. It therefore keeps the same meaning, "the one who holds the heel" (Genesis 25:26). It is the name of the most famous of the masters of the Mishnah.