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Jacob as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Jacob

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The baby name Jacob is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ (JAY-kub).

Jacob is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ (JAY-kub)

What is the meaning of the name Jacob ?

The baby name Jacob is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ (JAY-kub).

Jacob is Hebrew in Origin.

Jacob stems from Hebrew Ya‘akov (יַעֲקֹב), tied to the root ‘aqev, “heel,” yielding the sense “holder of the heel; supplanter,” from the Genesis account of grasping Esau’s heel. Some scholars also connect it to a theophoric form, Ya‘aqov-El, interpreted as “may God protect.” The patriarch Jacob, later named Israel, became eponymous ancestor of the twelve tribes, anchoring the name in Jewish and later Christian tradition.

Carried into Greek Iakobos and Latin Iacobus, the name diversified across Europe. English kept Jacob and, via Old French and Latin, also developed the related name James; the two lines remain historically intertwined. Usage persisted through the Middle Ages and surged after the Reformation, with modern peaks such as U.S. rank No. 1 from 1999–2012. International variants include Jakob (German/Scandinavian), Yaakov (Hebrew), Yakov (Russian), Jakub/Kuba (Polish), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Iago/Jaime/Santiago/Tiago (Iberian). Diminutives: Jake, Coby/Koby. Feminine: Jacoba, Jacqueline, Jacobina.

Jacob has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Jacob

Jacob Zuma Politician · Born 1942 · South Africa Jacob Zuma is best known for serving as president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. His full name is Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, and he is also known by the initials JZ and the clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Jacob Grimm Politician · Born 1785 · Kingdom of Prussia Jacob Grimm was a German writer and scholar best known as one of the Brothers Grimm, the collectors and editors of Grimms' Fairy Tales. He also made major contributions to linguistics through Grimm's law and wrote important works including Deutsche Mythologie and the Deutsches Wörterbuch. Jacob Elordi Actor · Born 1997 · Australia Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor best known for his roles in The Kissing Booth, Euphoria, and Priscilla. Born on 26 June 1997, he has won a Critics' Choice Movie Award and two AACTA Awards, along with receiving nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTAs, and two Golden Globes.
Jacob Batalon Actor · Born 1996 · United States Jacob Batalon is an American actor best known for playing Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, along with cameos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Jacob Tremblay Actor · Born 2006 · Canada Jacob Tremblay is a Canadian actor best known for playing Jack in Room (2015). He earned major praise for the role, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, and became the youngest nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. Jacob Collier Musician · Born 1994 · United Kingdom Jacob Collier is best known as an English singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his inventive, genre-blending music. He has drawn wide attention for songs and projects like Hideaway, All I Need, and his ambitious Djesse series, which showcase his rich harmonies and complex reharmonizations.

Celebrity babies named Jacob

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Jacob Bernstein Nora Ephron film director ★★★★★

Jacob – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
FJ 0 #6 1 374
New Zealand Boys 2010 #8 285 99
FJ Boys 0 #15 3 603
BW 0 #18 2 960
DK Boys 0 #18 2,306 7,401
Canada Boys 2024 #19 875 2,588
DK 0 #22 407 5,198
NL Boys 2014 #23 109 79
KR Boys 0 #23 5 897
BF Boys 0 #25 2 439
HT Boys 0 #30 5 903
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
DJ Boys 0 #36 1 657
TM Boys 0 #36 1 614
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
United States Boys 2024 #41 6,496 7,044
MT 0 #41 3 1,767
Norway Boys 2025 #51 116 444
BW Boys 0 #51 121 4,685
CM 0 #52 5 2,592
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
PR 0 #54 2 1,497
NA Boys 0 #69 211 6,830
CN 0 #71 15 3,857
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
GH Boys 0 #77 842 8,138
MV Boys 0 #78 2 3,375
QA 0 #81 20 7,011
OM 0 #88 29 6,215
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
KW 0 #93 24 5,216
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
Sweden Boys 2022 #95 95 1,509
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
SD 0 #100 3 2,130
ZA Boys 0 #101 5,708 25,619
PH 0 #102 9 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
CY Boys 0 #115 15 3,473
EC 0 #119 3 2,502
BN Boys 0 #120 14 6,332
CR 0 #121 38 5,526
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
Switzerland Boys 2024 #126 12 1,769
GH 0 #129 130 5,396
ID Boys 0 #129 7 4,130
MT Boys 0 #130 48 4,064
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
NG Boys 0 #134 4,070 16,906
AE 0 #135 43 10,220
PA 0 #135 4 3,797
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
IL Boys 0 #137 1,149 10,983
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
Belgium Boys 2024 #142 47 401
LT Boys 0 #145 7 2,166
BW Girls 0 #147 5 4,216
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
NL Boys 0 #157 2,598 5,873
PR Boys 0 #157 18 2,508
TW Boys 0 #158 89 7,111
PS 0 #163 56 5,692
IL 0 #165 117 6,291
AO Boys 0 #166 78 5,568
HU Boys 0 #169 6 3,954
CZ 0 #171 15 3,154
CN Boys 0 #172 169 9,639
NG 0 #173 93 5,926
PH Boys 0 #177 240 11,440
PS Boys 0 #181 633 10,655
MO Boys 0 #186 38 5,842
RU 0 #190 5 3,641
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
CZ Boys 0 #199 116 6,530
PL 0 #204 9 2,600
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
LU Boys 0 #212 9 4,970
France Girls 1940 #214 3 781
IR 0 #214 16 4,221
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Boys 0 #217 4 3,850
CR Boys 0 #217 387 10,188
EC Boys 0 #228 12 3,322
CM Boys 0 #232 487 12,054
GR Boys 0 #232 36 6,912
NA Girls 0 #232 6 7,146
PL Boys 0 #232 110 6,459
BD 0 #236 6 5,992
SG 0 #240 30 11,010
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
JM Boys 0 #248 25 6,876
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
JP Boys 0 #249 49 7,909
SA 0 #253 43 10,560
HR Boys 0 #254 6 3,997
France Boys 2021 #261 131 2,865
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
CL Boys 0 #271 895 13,390
HK Boys 0 #272 352 12,905
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
PA Boys 0 #284 235 9,305
Canada Girls 2000 #288 5 2,355
KZ Boys 0 #288 9 6,578
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
NL 0 #291 101 2,481
GT 0 #292 23 5,948
Finland 0 #297 11 830
ZA 0 #299 149 14,421
AL Boys 0 #300 4 5,122
PE 0 #300 11 6,350
MY 0 #302 29 12,352
MX Boys 0 #304 1,714 16,355
QA Girls 0 #304 13 15,378
GH Girls 0 #306 19 6,973
SD Boys 0 #307 141 10,523
HK 0 #319 30 8,483
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
JO Boys 0 #329 49 7,057
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
BO 0 #333 49 6,868
KW Boys 0 #337 533 18,755
MU Boys 0 #337 21 8,477
SG Boys 0 #340 444 17,960
Finland Boys 0 #342 86 2,041
PT Boys 0 #344 24 7,951
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
Austria Boys 0 #354 89 2,180
YE 0 #354 28 8,639
BR 0 #356 5 5,969
GT Boys 0 #357 118 7,625
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
BO Boys 0 #359 276 9,244
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
BH 0 #367 188 17,937
CO Boys 0 #372 925 15,656
MX 0 #373 41 8,339
CL 0 #374 38 6,867
EG 0 #389 12 6,387
QA Boys 0 #396 335 18,093
Germany 0 #397 41 2,542
Spain Boys 0 #398 786 5,610
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
UY Boys 0 #407 7 5,922
Spain 0 #411 42 2,326
IR Boys 0 #412 146 10,162
Finland Boys 2026 #415 343 3,552
OM Girls 0 #417 8 15,987
PH Girls 0 #421 9 13,098
RU Boys 0 #434 72 12,621
AE Boys 0 #441 933 22,615
AR Boys 0 #443 25 7,628
OM Boys 0 #448 532 17,948
PE Boys 0 #464 577 14,506
CO 0 #465 16 7,768
NG Girls 0 #468 380 15,093
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
LY 0 #482 54 12,703
KW Girls 0 #495 21 19,177
PA Girls 0 #513 6 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
CM Girls 0 #527 14 11,671
BD Boys 0 #535 42 10,045
GT Girls 0 #539 3 7,500
AE Girls 0 #542 12 20,968
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
PS Girls 0 #545 3 10,981
IQ Boys 0 #546 122 13,071
Germany Boys 0 #569 445 5,697
CR Girls 0 #570 4 11,342
LB 0 #597 62 13,263
HK Girls 0 #606 10 16,104
BR Boys 0 #608 145 12,213
SG Girls 0 #626 7 18,916
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IL Girls 0 #637 9 11,648
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
EG Boys 0 #665 226 15,035
IT 0 #670 45 4,183
SY 0 #675 54 11,684
MY Boys 0 #694 455 25,439
TN 0 #746 84 13,765
IN Boys 0 #805 198 16,750
CL Girls 0 #838 14 14,098
DZ 0 #879 301 20,130
United States Girls 2024 #908 9 8,487
SA Girls 0 #912 24 25,931
SA Boys 0 #913 851 28,008
NL Girls 0 #931 25 5,933
PE Girls 0 #932 12 14,861
IT Boys 0 #941 556 10,046
MA 0 #967 162 20,986
Spain Girls 0 #972 12 5,561
MY Girls 0 #982 13 24,821
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,006 4 14,742
ZA Girls 0 #1,006 136 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,065 14 16,140
TR 0 #1,154 58 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,156 28 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,431 16 9,415

Jacob is popular in 96 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
NL
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland

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People also ask about Jacob

Jacob is predominantly a boy's name.
Jacob is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ (JAY-kub).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Jake, Jakob, Jakub, Jacobo, Yaakov and Yakov.
Yes, very popular — Jacob ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 13 countries.
Jacob ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Jacob's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #371 in 2011 to #261 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 15 notable people named Jacob are in our database, including Jacob Zuma (Politician), Jacob Grimm (Politician), Jacob Elordi (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Jacob for their child, including Nora Ephron.