boy's name
Jacob
JAY-kub
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 1,162,804
the United States
#43
2025 births
Jacob is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel," from Ya'aqov. In Genesis he is the twin who grasps his brother Esau's heel at birth, later wrestles with a divine figure, and is renamed Israel.
- Jacob is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1998, when 36,091 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 539 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jacob over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,566 |
| 1890s | 2,551 |
| 1900s | 2,191 |
| 1910s | 8,699 |
| 1920s | 9,067 |
| 1930s | 5,281 |
| 1940s | 4,853 |
| 1950s | 5,405 |
| 1960s | 5,080 |
| 1970s | 36,557 |
| 1980s | 124,948 |
| 1990s | 299,007 |
| 2000s | 274,600 |
| 2010s | 163,507 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 45,220 |
What Jacob means
Jacob is traditionally read as "he grasps the heel," and by extension "supplanter," from the Genesis birth narrative. Some scholars prefer a reading closer to "may God protect," treating the heel-grasping account as an explanation attached to the name later.
Where Jacob comes from
Jacob comes from the Hebrew Ya'aqov, connected to aqev, meaning heel. Genesis records that he was born gripping the heel of his twin Esau, and the name is invoked again when he obtains Esau's birthright and blessing — the text plays on the sense of supplanting deliberately. After wrestling through the night with a divine adversary he is renamed Israel, and his twelve sons become the twelve tribes. Scholars have also proposed a derivation from a longer form meaning "may God protect," with the heel story serving as a folk explanation. Jacob and James are the same name in English by different routes, Jacob from Latin Iacobus and James from the Late Latin Iacomus.
Jacob in use
Jacob and James are the same original name, separated by a sound change in Late Latin.
How popular is Jacob?
In 2025, Jacob was given to 6,152 babies in the United States, ranking #43 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Jacob is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Jacob
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jacob also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jacob over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Jacob
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Jacob in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Jacob
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jacob — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jacob
What does the name Jacob mean?
Jacob is usually read as "supplanter" or "holder of the heel," from the Hebrew Ya'aqov.
Are Jacob and James the same name?
Yes. Both descend from the Hebrew Ya'aqov, reaching English by different Latin routes.
Why was Jacob renamed Israel?
Genesis records that after wrestling through the night with a divine figure, he was given the name Israel.
How popular is the name Jacob?
In 2025, Jacob was given to 6,152 babies in the United States, ranking #43 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Jacob a girl's or a boy's name?
Jacob is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jacob?
Jacob has 2 syllables.
When was Jacob most popular?
Jacob peaked in 1998, when 36,091 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Jacob?
Jacob is usually shortened to Jake, Jay and Jax.
Is Jacob a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jacob currently ranks #13 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.