Jacob
Jacob is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “supplanter; one who follows at the heel.” It ranked #11 in the United States in 2025. From the Hebrew Yaakov, meaning he who supplants or grabs the heel.
how do you pronounce Jacob?
JAY-kub
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Jacob mean?
The name Jacob means “supplanter; one who follows at the heel.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
From the Hebrew Yaakov, meaning he who supplants or grabs the heel. In the Bible, Jacob was the patriarch who wrestled with an angel and fathered the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob was America's most popular boys' name from 1999 to 2012.
where does the name Jacob come from?
From the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov), connected to aqev, meaning heel. Genesis explains it twice: he is born gripping his twin's heel, and he later takes his brother's birthright, which the text turns into a pun on supplanting. Both readings — follower at the heel and one who supplants — come from the same word.
the history of Jacob
Jacob wrestles a stranger through the night at the ford of Jabbok and is renamed Israel as a result, making him the ancestor whose name the nation carries. The name passed into Latin as Iacobus, from which English drew both Jacob and, by a separate route, James. It topped the American boys' charts for thirteen consecutive years from 1999.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #11 |
| 2023 | #11 |
| 2022 | #11 |
| 2021 | #12 |
| 2020 | #13 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Jacob?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Jacob?
- Jacob (biblical patriarch)
- Jacob Black (Twilight character)
- Jacob deGrom (baseball player)
what names are similar to Jacob?
what names go well with Jacob?
Sibling names that share Jacob's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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