The baby name Yakov is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YAH-kov (English approximation, /ˈjɑːkəv/),YA-kov (Russian: Я́ков, /ˈjakəf/),ya-AH-kov (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, /jaˈakov/).
Yakov is Hebrew in Origin.
The baby name Yakov is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YAH-kov (English approximation, /ˈjɑːkəv/),YA-kov (Russian: Я́ков, /ˈjakəf/),ya-AH-kov (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, /jaˈakov/).
Yakov is Hebrew in Origin.
Yakov is the East Slavic and Russian form of Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew Ya‘aqov/Yaakov. The name is commonly interpreted from the Hebrew ‘aqev “heel,” evoking the Genesis story of Jacob grasping Esau’s heel and thus “heel-holder; supplanter.” A scholarly alternative links it to a theophoric phrase meaning “may God protect,” reflecting ancient Northwest Semitic naming patterns.
Used across Russia, Ukraine, and Jewish communities, Yakov appears in Church Slavonic calendars and imperial records and remained popular in the Russian Empire and Soviet period. Notable bearers include revolutionary Yakov Sverdlov and science writer Yakov Perelman. Russian diminutives include Yasha and Yashenka; the patronymic is Yakovlevich, with the surname Yakovlev derived. Close variants and cognates: Yaakov/Ya’akov (Hebrew), Iakov (transliteration), Yakiv (Ukrainian), Jakov (South Slavic), Iacob (Romanian), Jacob/Jakob (Western European), and Arabic Ya‘qub/Yaqub.
| Yakov Sverdlov Yakov Mikhailovich Sverdlov was best known as a leading Bolshevik revolutionary and early Soviet politician. He played a major role in the Russian Revolution and in organizing the new Soviet state before his death in 1919. | Yakov Smirnoff Yakov Smirnoff is an American comedian, actor, and writer best known for his stand-up comedy about life in the Soviet Union and the United States. Born Yakov Naumovich Pokhis, he started performing in the Soviet Union before immigrating to America in 1977 without knowing English. |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KZ | 0 | #94 | 1 | 1,452 | |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #98 | 1,710 | 10,983 |
| EE | Boys | 0 | #125 | 1 | 2,087 |
| GR | 0 | #135 | 1 | 3,911 | |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #135 | 880 | 10,655 |
| PS | 0 | #172 | 47 | 5,692 | |
| HU | Boys | 0 | #174 | 1 | 3,954 |
| RU | 0 | #176 | 14 | 3,641 | |
| IL | 0 | #182 | 95 | 6,291 | |
| Sweden | Boys | 2013 | #189 | 2 | 1,429 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #216 | 427 | 12,621 |
| BG | Boys | 0 | #219 | 2 | 3,850 |
| KZ | Boys | 0 | #250 | 40 | 6,578 |
| SG | 0 | #282 | 1 | 11,010 | |
| Canada | Boys | 2024 | #300 | 7 | 2,588 |
| CZ | Boys | 0 | #304 | 2 | 6,530 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #329 | 3 | 9,639 |
| PE | 0 | #329 | 1 | 6,350 | |
| PL | Boys | 0 | #340 | 1 | 6,459 |
| MU | Boys | 0 | #369 | 1 | 8,477 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #380 | 2 | 7,951 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #408 | 1 | 11,440 |
| UY | Boys | 0 | #413 | 1 | 5,922 |
| CL | 0 | #433 | 2 | 6,867 | |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #505 | 1 | 9,305 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #507 | 4 | 10,188 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #519 | 5 | 11,913 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #542 | 6 | 10,981 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #557 | 1 | 12,905 |
| IR | Boys | 0 | #565 | 1 | 10,162 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #605 | 13 | 11,648 |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #620 | 3 | 9,244 |
| Finland | Boys | 2026 | #677 | 6 | 3,552 |
| LB | 0 | #689 | 2 | 13,263 | |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #697 | 4 | 13,390 |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #729 | 164 | 7,044 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #739 | 1 | 17,960 |
| SY | 0 | #767 | 1 | 11,684 | |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #918 | 1 | 17,948 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #919 | 8 | 14,506 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #977 | 5 | 15,656 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #1,000 | 2 | 16,906 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,026 | 8 | 16,355 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,142 | 2 | 22,615 |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| DZ | 0 | #1,233 | 2 | 20,130 | |
| TR | 0 | #1,249 | 6 | 19,440 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,269 | 4 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Yakov is popular in 39 countries — most recent births per country:
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