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Jacob Baby boy name meaning, origin, and popularity

Jacob name meaning and origin

It's safe to say Jacob is one of the all-time classic name choices for baby boys. From the Hebrew Ya'aqov, Jacob can mean "to follow, be behind," but it can also mean "to supplant, overreach" or come from the Hebrew word for "heel." It can also mean "may God protect." All are based on the biblical story of Jacob.

The original Jacob is a hero of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths. The grandson of Abraham (the patriarch of the Israelites) and the son of Isaac, Jacob was the younger twin of Esau. According to the Bible story, Jacob was born grasping his brother's heel as if to surpass him and take Esau's place as the firstborn son. This first act is where the name's meaning "supplanter" began, and Jacob would go on to fulfill this meaning by tricking Esau out of his birthright years later.

Another fun part of Jacob's history: In the 1920s, the nickname Jake was used as a slang word meaning "cool" or "awesome."

The name is most commonly spelled Jacob and pronounced "JAY-kub." Jakob is a relatively common variant spelling, with less common versions including Jacoby and Jacobi. Nicknames include Jake, Jay, Cubby, and Kobie. Jack can also be short for Jacob, though it's more commonly a nickname for John or used as a standalone name.

Jacob is a masculine name that is primarily used for baby boys, but with modern parents trending toward gender-neutral names with masculine undertones (such as Charlie for Charlotte, and last names like Taylor being used as first names for girls), it's not a stretch to think Jake could emerge as a gender-neutral name. Jacobina is the feminine version of Jacob, and shortened to Jake could be a cute twist for families looking for a unique but still familiar name.

Jacob has been in the top 500 boy names in the U.S. since at least 1900, according to the Social Security Administration. It hit number 1 in 1999 and was the most popular name for baby boys until 2013. It's declined slightly in recent years, but was still in the top 20 names for boys in 2020.

Jacob manages to be a very old name with religious meaning and an extremely popular choice for modern babies. While trends come and go, Jacob has earned its place in the classic baby names hall of fame – a place it may stay for another millennium.

Jacob name popularity

Popularity over time

babies per million
Source: Social Security Administration & BabyCenter user data

Jacob in pop culture

Jacob Have I Loved
Novel written by Katherine Paterson
Defending Jacob
Apple TV crime drama based on the 2012 William Landay book of the same name
Jacob Black
Character in the Twilight novels and movies
Jacob Marley
Character in Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol
Jacob Singer
Character in Jacob's Ladder, a 1990 horror film with a 2019 remake
Jake Fury
Character in the Marvel comic Scorpio
"Jake from State Farm"
Insurance agent from the popular 2011 State Farm commercial
Jake the dog
Character in the Cartoon Network animated show Adventure Time
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Famous people named Jacob

Jacob Grimm
German academic and folklore storyteller; one half of the Brothers Grimm
Jacob Tremblay
Canadian actor
Jacob Zuma
President of South Africa from 2009 to 2018
Jake Gyllenhall
American actor
Jake Owen
American singer-songwriter
Jake Tapper
American journalist

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