Jacob

“Supplanter, or holder of the heel” — Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin

Boy's name · #43 in the US (2025) · 90s

Jacob has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #1 (1999) · 988,227 babies named Jacob all-time · 1 in 280 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: #6 in Philippines (2024) · #19 in Canada (2024) · #25 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #27 in N. Ireland (2025) · #41 in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Jacobs

Jacob Zuma — 4th President of South Africa (2009–2018)
Jacob Grimm — German philologist, linguist, jurist and mythologist (1785–1863)
Jacob Bernoulli — Swiss mathematician (1655-1705)
Jacob Burckhardt — Swiss historian (1818–1897)
Jacob van Ruisdael — Dutch painter and engraver (1628-1682)

In stories & tradition

Jacob — Qur’an · Genesis 25
Jacob Black — Twilight · The Twilight Saga
Jacob (Thing) — Fantastic Four

What Jacobs become

Among 5,627 notable people named Jacob:

Business leaders appear 2.53× more often than among typical names — e.g. Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English peer, investment banker and philanthropist (1936–2024).

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.