boy's name
Jacques
ZHAHK
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 495,348
Northern Ireland
#295
1998 births
Jacques is a boy's name, the French form of Jacob, and our data marks it reviving. It ranks 324th in France and, unusually, holds a better position in England and Wales at 736th than in the United States at 1933rd.
- Jacques is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1946, when 15,405 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in France.
- Today about 1 in 3,684 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jacques over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 14,690 |
| 1910s | 21,670 |
| 1920s | 82,065 |
| 1930s | 108,905 |
| 1940s | 118,900 |
| 1950s | 87,760 |
| 1960s | 33,640 |
| 1970s | 7,265 |
| 1980s | 3,230 |
| 1990s | 2,050 |
| 2000s | 1,345 |
| 2010s | 1,150 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 805 |
What Jacques means
Jacques means supplanter, or one who takes another's place. The Hebrew name behind it is traditionally explained by the story of Jacob taking his brother's birthright, though the story may have been built to explain the name.
Where Jacques comes from
Jacques is the French form of Jacob, through the Latin Iacobus, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov. The traditional meaning, supplanter, rests on the Genesis account in which Jacob is born gripping his twin's heel — Hebrew aqev — and later takes both birthright and blessing. In France the name became so ordinary that it stood in for the common man generally: the peasant revolts of 1358 are called the Jacquerie, and Jacques Bonhomme was the standard label for a French peasant, much as John Bull came to stand for an Englishman. The English Jack, however, comes from John and not from Jacques, despite the resemblance.
Jacques in use
Jacques peaked in France in 1946, when 15,405 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 324th in France on 160 births, 412th in Scotland, 736th in England and Wales on 47 and 1933rd in the United States, across 495,348 lifetime births. Ranking better in England and Wales than in America is unusual for a French name, and the revival in its home market is the clearer signal.
How popular is Jacques?
In 2025, Jacques was given to 160 babies in France, ranking #324 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Jacques is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Jacques
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jacques also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jacques over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Jacques
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.
Jacques 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 Jacques
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jacques — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jacques
What does the name Jacques mean?
Supplanter, inherited from Jacob through the Latin Iacobus.
Is Jack short for Jacques?
No. Jack comes from John, despite the resemblance.
What was the Jacquerie?
The French peasant revolt of 1358, named from Jacques as a byword for the common man.
Is Jacques coming back?
Our data marks it reviving. It ranks 324th in France.
How popular is the name Jacques?
In 2025, Jacques was given to 160 babies in France, ranking #324 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Jacques a girl's or a boy's name?
Jacques is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jacques?
Jacques has 1 syllable.
When was Jacques most popular?
Jacques peaked in 1946, when 15,405 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Jacques?
Jacques is usually shortened to Jacquot.
Is Jacques a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jacques currently ranks #324 in France. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.