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Jakov as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Jakov

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The baby name Jakov is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YAH-kov (IPA: ˈja.kɔv).

Jakov is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: YAH-kov (IPA: ˈja.kɔv)

What is the meaning of the name Jakov ?

The baby name Jakov is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YAH-kov (IPA: ˈja.kɔv).

Jakov is Hebrew in Origin.

Jakov is the South Slavic form of Jacob, rooted in Hebrew Ya‘aqov, likely derived from ‘aqev “heel,” giving the traditional meaning “holder of the heel; supplanter.” It entered Slavic on the back of Church Slavonic Iakov and settled as Jakov in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin usage. Close relatives include Yakov (Russian), Yakiv (Ukrainian), Jakob (German, Slovene, and Scandinavian), Jakub (Polish, Czech, Slovak), Iakovos (Greek), Giacomo (Italian), Jacques (French), and James (English).

Used across the Balkans since medieval Christianization, the name honored both the Old Testament patriarch and the New Testament apostle commonly rendered as St. James. It appears in parish registers, saints’ calendars, and toponymy, and has produced family names such as Jakovljević. Regional short forms include Jakša. Jakov remains a familiar, traditional choice in South Slavic countries, bridging biblical heritage with straightforward, distinctive sound.

Jakov has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Jakov

Jakov Milatović Politician · Born 1986 · Montenegro Jakov Milatović is a Montenegrin politician and economist best known as the president of Montenegro, a role he has held since May 2023. Before that, he served as Montenegro’s minister of economic development from 2020 to 2022 and worked as an economist for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and Podgorica.

Jakov – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Boys 2025 #1 423
Ireland Boys 2019 #1 764
EE 0 #36 2 1,051
HR Boys 0 #52 1,139 3,997
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
HR 0 #100 95 2,081
EE Boys 0 #116 10 2,087
Switzerland Boys 2024 #125 13 1,769
RS Boys 0 #134 21 2,277
LT Boys 0 #147 5 2,166
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #180 3 1,509
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
SI Boys 0 #208 4 3,402
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
HR Girls 0 #274 16 3,687
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
AL Boys 0 #299 5 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
Canada Boys 2019 #323 5 2,618
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
Austria Boys 0 #416 27 2,180
RU Boys 0 #479 27 12,621
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
PS Boys 0 #516 33 10,655
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
IL Boys 0 #529 79 10,983
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
Finland Boys 2026 #663 20 3,552
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #888 5 7,044
Germany Boys 0 #902 51 5,697
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
MX Boys 0 #1,030 4 16,355
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,271 2 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,442 30 10,046

Jakov is popular in 36 countries — most recent births per country:

Switzerland
Sweden
United States
Germany
Ireland

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People also ask about Jakov

Jakov is predominantly a boy's name.
Jakov is a 2 syllable name, pronounced YAH-kov (IPA: ˈja.kɔv).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Yakov, Jakub, Jakob, Yaakov and Yakub.
Across languages, Jakov has these equivalents: Jacob (English), Yaʿakov / Yaakov (Hebrew), Yakov (Russian), Jakub (Polish, Czech, Slovak), Jakob (German, Scandinavian), and 4 more.
Yes, very popular — Jakov ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Jakov ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Jakov's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #147 in 2014 to #125 in 2024 in Switzerland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Jakov are in our database, including Jakov Milatović (Politician).