The name Jacob comes from Hebrew origins. This popular boy’s name has biblical roots and is first used in the Old Testament. The name as we know it today derives from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov and the Latin version Iacobus.
The meaning of Jacob in the bible is ‘one who follows on another’s heels’. In the bible story, Jacob – grandson of Abraham and son of Issac – was born holding his twin brother Esau’s heel.
This Hebrew name is also thought to mean to ‘supplant’ or ‘overreach’. Another biblical meaning of Jacob is ‘may God protect’.
What does Jacob mean? As you can see, there are several different meanings to this popular boy’s name, but they all derive from the bible.
There are many ways to abbreviate Jacob if you want to give your baby a cute nickname. Popular ways to shorten Jacob include Jake, Jay, and Kobie.
- Jacob Name Origin: Latin/Hebrew
- Meaning of Jacob: One who follows on another’s heels
- Pronunciation: Jay – Kub
- Gender: Male
How Popular is the Name Jacob?
The name Jacob has remained inside the top 350 most popular boys’ names in the US for over 100 years. While Jacob is a well-known biblical name, it didn’t start to grow in popularity until the 1970s. In 1974, Jacob entered the Top 100 at #84 and began to surge up through the popular baby name charts.
Jacob held the top spot as the most popular boys’ name in the United States from 1999 to 2012. In 2018, the name fell out of the top 10 and has been slipping back down the rankings ever since. Jacob isn’t going anywhere though, it may not be number one anymore but in 2021, 8397 baby boys were given the name.
Variations of the Name Jacob
If you like the name Jacob, you may also like the following variations from other languages.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Jaco | Heel catcher | Portuguese |
| Jacopo | Supplanter | Italian |
| Jago | Supplanter | Spanish |
| Jakub | He who supplants | Polish |
| Kubo | Sunken ground | Japanese |
| Yaakov | He who supplants | Hebrew |
Other Amazing Biblical Boys’ Names
Maybe Jacob isn’t ‘the one’ for your baby. If so, you may be inspired by these other biblical boys’ names.
| Name | Meaning |
| Abraham | Father of multiples |
| Adam | Man from the red earth |
| Caleb | Faith and devotion |
| Daniel | God is my judge |
| Ephron | Fertile |
| Ethan | Strong and firm |
| Ezra | Help |
Alternative Boys Names Starting with ‘J’
If Jacob isn’t the baby name of your dreams, try one of these other boys’ names starting with ‘J’ instead.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Jasper | Tressure | Greek |
| Jack | Jack of all trades | English |
| Judah | Praised | Hebrew |
| Jett | Black stone | English |
| Jensen | God is gracious | Scandinavian |
| Judd | To flow down | English |
| Jesse | Gift | Hebrew |
Famous People Named Jacob
The name Jacob has been around for thousands of years and there are many famous people with this biblical name. Here is a list of the most well-known Jacobs in history:
- Jacob Grimm – German Folklorist, one half of the brothers Grimm
- Jacob Latimore – R&B artist and American actor.
- Jacob DeGrom – New York Mets basketball player.
- Jacob Cohen – American stand up comedian.
- Jake GyIlenhaal – American actor.