Jacob
Jacob is a common masculine given name of Hebrew origin. The English form is derived from the Latin Iacobus, from the Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iakobos), ultimately from the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, the name of Jacob, biblical patriarch of the Israelites, and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions.
- English
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
Meaning & Origin of Jacob
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jacob is a common masculine given name of Hebrew origin. The English form is derived from the Latin Iacobus, from the Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iakobos), ultimately from the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, the name of Jacob, biblical patriarch of the Israelites, and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Jewish
- Biblical
The Story of Jacob
Jacob first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 404 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1998: 36,027 births, good for #2 nationwide. About 30% of every Jacob on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Jacob ranks #46 for baby boys with 5,835 births, falling sharply (-38%). All told, over 994K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jacob
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jacob. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Jacob
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- See also: Jakob (given name) Patriarch Jacob of Alexandria (1803–1865), Greek Patriarch of Alexandria 1861–1865
- Saint Jakov , Archbishop of Serbs 1286–1292
- Saint Jacob of Alaska , missionary of the Orthodox Church
- Saint Jacob of Nisibis , Bishop of Nisibis
- Jacob (Book of Mormon prophet)
- All pages with titles beginning with Jacob
- All pages with titles beginning with Jacob of
- All pages with titles beginning with Jacob the
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Where is Jacob most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- AE36%
- Nigeria22%
- United States16%
- India14%
- BH13%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Jacob
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jacob is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jacob
What does the name Jacob mean?
What is the origin of the name Jacob?
How popular is Jacob in 2026?
When was Jacob most popular?
In which U.S. states is Jacob most popular?
Is Jacob a unisex name?
What names go well with Jacob?
What are nicknames or variants of Jacob?
About the name Jacob
Jacob is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 994K births in the dataset. Jacob's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Jacob's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1998 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.