Jacob Boy

Popularity: #43 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JAY-kub //ˈdʒeɪ.kəb//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: Supplanter; English: Holder of the heel

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jacob originates from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (יעקב), which is derived from the root word "aqeb" meaning "to follow" or "to supplant." This etymology reflects the biblical narrative of Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca, who is known for having grasped his twin brother Esau's heel at birth, symbolizing his role as a supplanter. The name was later transliterated into Greek as Iakobos (Ἰάκωβος) and subsequently into Latin as Jacobus, before making its way into Old French as Jacque and eventually into Middle English as Jacob.

Historically, Jacob is a significant figure in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the Book of Genesis, where he is portrayed as a patriarch of the Israelites. His story includes the famous account of wrestling with an angel, which led to his name being changed to Israel, meaning "he who struggles with God." This narrative has been influential in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, with Jacob often regarded as a symbol of perseverance and faith.

The name appears in various biblical translations, including the King James Bible published in 1611, which helped to solidify its presence in English-speaking cultures. Culturally, Jacob has been associated with themes of struggle, identity, and divine promise, resonating through centuries of religious and literary works.

The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Jake, which have been used in different contexts. Jacob's enduring legacy is reflected in its frequent appearances in religious texts, art, and literature, where he is often depicted as a foundational figure in the history of the Jewish people and their covenant with God.

Famous people named Jacob

In this section, you will find notable people named Jacob. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Jacob who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jacob who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Jacob Black is a fictional character best known for the Twilight series.

Jacob Tremblay is an actor best known for Room, Wonder, and Good Boys.

Jacob Sartorius is a singer and social media personality best known for his singles and Vine videos.

Jacob Elordi is an actor best known for Euphoria, The Kissing Booth, and The Kissing Booth 2.

Jacob Anderson is an actor and musician best known for Game of Thrones and This Is England.

Jacob Collier is a musician and producer best known for his innovative music and arrangements.

Jacob Lattimore is an actor and singer best known for The Maze Runner, Black Nativity, and The Chi.

Jacob Fatu is a professional wrestler best known for his work in Major League Wrestling.

Fictional characters named Jacob

The following list of fictional characters named Jacob is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Jacob Black is a fictional character from the book series Twilight. He is a werewolf and a key figure in the love triangle involving Bella Swan and Edward Cullen.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Jacob, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EthanNoahMasonLiamAidenLucasCaleb

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jacob. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JamesJoshuaJaredJaxonJulianJasperJettJace

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jacob was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Jacob has ranked as high as #2 nationally, which occurred in 1998, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Jacob has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jacob is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Jacob was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Jacob.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 6,152 6,152 0
2024 6,550 6,541 9
2023 7,021 7,015 6
2022 7,677 7,667 10
2021 8,502 8,494 8
2020 9,318 9,309 9
2019 10,805 10,797 8
2018 11,906 11,897 9
2017 13,285 13,269 16
2016 14,575 14,559 16
2015 16,028 16,005 23
2014 16,936 16,923 13
2013 18,224 18,201 23
2012 19,136 19,110 26
2011 20,426 20,403 23
2010 22,186 22,157 29
2009 21,231 21,204 27
2008 22,650 22,621 29
2007 24,344 24,310 34
2006 24,908 24,871 37
2005 25,891 25,851 40
2004 28,082 27,911 171
2003 29,705 29,658 47
2002 30,627 30,586 41
2001 32,611 32,573 38
2000 34,551 34,492 59
1999 35,434 35,371 63
1998 36,091 36,031 60
1997 34,224 34,163 61
1996 31,978 31,925 53
1995 31,200 31,134 66
1994 29,467 29,417 50
1993 27,554 27,487 67
1992 25,717 25,665 52
1991 25,261 25,200 61
1990 22,081 22,022 59
1989 17,905 17,831 74
1988 15,961 15,883 78
1987 14,416 14,326 90
1986 13,730 13,652 78
1985 12,361 12,284 77
1984 11,407 11,358 49
1983 11,065 10,999 66
1982 10,129 10,059 70
1981 9,402 9,342 60
1980 8,572 8,520 52
1979 7,586 7,545 41
1978 6,202 6,161 41
1977 5,823 5,788 35
1976 4,531 4,509 22
1975 3,642 3,618 24
1974 2,978 2,957 21
1973 2,134 2,123 11
1972 1,689 1,683 6
1971 1,062 1,057 5
1970 910 910 0
1969 656 656 0
1968 553 553 0
1967 445 445 0
1966 454 454 0
1965 487 487 0
1964 527 522 5
1963 487 487 0
1962 474 474 0
1961 504 504 0
1960 493 493 0
1959 558 558 0
1958 506 506 0
1957 540 540 0
1956 538 538 0
1955 582 577 5
1954 563 563 0
1953 590 590 0
1952 561 561 0
1951 502 502 0
1950 465 465 0
1949 490 490 0
1948 550 550 0
1947 522 522 0
1946 457 457 0
1945 417 417 0
1944 437 437 0
1943 476 476 0
1942 524 524 0
1941 466 466 0
1940 514 514 0
1939 427 427 0
1938 488 488 0
1937 541 536 5
1936 500 500 0
1935 475 475 0
1934 547 547 0
1933 539 539 0
1932 563 558 5
1931 572 572 0
1930 629 622 7
1929 652 647 5
1928 718 718 0
1927 855 855 0
1926 810 810 0
1925 901 901 0
1924 975 970 5
1923 975 975 0
1922 1,027 1,027 0
1921 1,099 1,094 5
1920 1,055 1,050 5
1919 1,082 1,082 0
1918 1,203 1,198 5
1917 1,127 1,122 5
1916 1,132 1,132 0
1915 1,122 1,122 0
1914 997 997 0
1913 744 744 0
1912 691 691 0
1911 328 323 5
1910 273 273 0
1909 262 262 0
1908 235 235 0
1907 243 243 0
1906 187 187 0
1905 220 220 0
1904 243 243 0
1903 189 189 0
1902 207 207 0
1901 172 172 0
1900 233 233 0
1899 189 189 0
1898 256 256 0
1897 204 204 0
1896 241 241 0
1895 266 266 0
1894 292 292 0
1893 292 292 0
1892 283 283 0
1891 238 238 0
1890 290 290 0
1889 295 295 0
1888 353 353 0
1887 317 317 0
1886 346 346 0
1885 343 343 0
1884 381 381 0
1883 356 356 0
1882 390 390 0
1881 381 381 0
1880 404 404 0

Top States for Jacob (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 856
13%
TX 719
11%
NY 646
10%
FL 451
7%
NJ 280
4%
PA 237
4%
NC 220
3%
GA 201
3%
IL 199
3%
OH 186
3%
VA 184
3%
MA 158
2%
MD 146
2%
AZ 138
2%
MI 131
2%
TN 131
2%
WA 118
2%
IN 116
2%
CO 105
2%
MO 91
1%
SC 90
1%
AL 84
1%
LA 79
1%
KY 75
1%
WI 69
1%
CT 68
1%
MN 63
1%
UT 62
1%
NV 58
1%
AR 47
1%
OK 45
1%
OR 43
1%
IA 43
1%
MS 41
1%
KS 38
1%
ID 29
0%
NE 29
0%
NM 29
0%
WV 27
0%
NH 25
0%
RI 23
0%
HI 18
0%
DC 18
0%
SD 15
0%
ND 13
0%
AK 12
0%
DE 12
0%
ME 10
0%
MT 8
0%
VT 5
0%
WY 5
0%