ORIGIN
Hebrew

MEANING
Holder of the heel

Has come in and out of vogue for over 100 years. Landed at No. 1 for the first time in 1999, knocking Michael off the top after 38 years. In the Old Testament, Jacob was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel. Namesake Jacob Grimm, the German linguist and writer, was the author of "Grimm's Fairy Tales" with his brother Wilhelm. Jacobus is the Latin form of the name.

VARIATIONS
Jacoba Jacobina

ALTERNATIVES
Jacobe Jakob

The boy's name Jacob \j(a)-cob\ is pronounced JAY-kub. It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "he who supplants". Also possibly from "la-aqov" (hence, Yaakov) meaning "to track or follow". Biblical: the son of Isaac and Rebekah and twin brother of Esau. Jacob fathered 12 sons and a daughter, who became the ancestors of the nation of Israel, the name Jacob himself received after wrestling with an angel. Jacobo is a Spanish form; Yakov (YAH-kav) is Russian. Senator Jacob Javits; actor Jake Gyllenhall.

For more information, see also related names Jock, Kobi and Zachary.

Baby names that sound like Jacob are Jacopo, Yakob and Yaacob.

Jacob is a very common first name for men (#122 out of 1220) and also a very common last name for both men and women (#1894 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)

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