Fun Facts About the Name Jacobus
- 142 babies named Jacobus: U.S. records list 142 babies given the name Jacobus from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jacobus Mean?
Jacobus means "supplanter" and is a Latinized form of Jacob, which comes through Greek Iakōbos from Hebrew Ya'aqov. The Hebrew name is traditionally connected with 'aqev ("heel") and 'aqav ("to supplant" or "to follow at the heel"), a wordplay explained by the Genesis story of Jacob grasping Esau's heel. The exact etymology is debated; some scholars treat the heel-and-supplant explanation as a traditional wordplay rather than a certain literal translation, leaving the original sense uncertain. The Latin ending -us is the masculine nominative form, not an added element of meaning.
Jacobus Name History & Origins
Latin Christian texts used Iacob for the Hebrew patriarch and Iacobus for the New Testament name that English renders as James. Both are Latin forms of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which appears in Greek as Iakōb and Iakōbos. The given name Jacobus is a Latinized form of Jacob with the masculine ending -us, and Latinized names of this kind were common in medieval and early modern church, school, and legal records.
In the Low Countries, Jacobus became a traditional Dutch given name. Dutch settlers carried it to the Cape Colony in southern Africa, where it remains an Afrikaans name, often shortened to Kobus or Jaco. The Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560 - 1609), born Jacob Harmenszoon, is a well-known bearer of the Latinized name. In English, Jacobus is comparatively uncommon as a first name and also appears as a surname.
How Popular is the Name Jacobus?
Jacobus has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1997. Its best rank was #5,650 in 1979.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,777 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #11,444 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #13,112 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #12,890 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #12,838 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #13,053 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,074 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #9,124 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #9,328 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #12,785 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #12,140 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #12,068 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #11,588 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #7,951 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #9,755 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,071 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,160 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #6,861 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #9,606 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,169 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,413 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #7,750 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,966 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,690 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,650 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Jacobus Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Jacobus's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jacobus's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.