Fun Facts About the Name Jakob
- More than 31 thousand babies named Jakob: U.S. records list 31,956 babies given the name Jakob from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jakob Mean?
Jakob is a variant of Jacob, a Hebrew name traditionally translated as 'supplanter' or 'heel-catcher.' It comes from the Hebrew Ya'aqov (יַעֲקֹב), the name of the biblical patriarch. The Hebrew name is connected with 'aqev (heel) and the verb 'aqav (to supplant or to follow closely). In Genesis, Jacob is born grasping the heel of his twin Esau, and later Esau says that Jacob has supplanted him. That story is a wordplay on the name rather than a certain linguistic derivation. The exact etymology is disputed; some scholars have suggested a different Semitic root meaning 'to protect,' but the heel and supplanting explanation remains the traditional and most widely cited one. The spelling Jakob is not a separate Hebrew name; it is the German and Scandinavian form of Jacob, also used in English as a variant spelling.
Jakob Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name Ya'aqov belongs to the patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca and ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the Hebrew Bible he is also renamed Israel after wrestling with a divine being. The name passed into Greek as Iakobos and into Latin as Iacobus, forms used by early Christians. In the New Testament, Iakobos is the name of two apostles and other figures; English translations often render these as James, while the same Latin root also produced the English Jacob. The form Jakob developed in German and Scandinavian usage, where it is the standard spelling and the initial J is pronounced like a Y. It appears in German religious and literary contexts, such as the mystic Jakob Böhme (1575 - 1624). In Scandinavia, Jakob is a traditional form of the name. In English-speaking countries, Jakob is used as a variant of Jacob, often reflecting German or Scandinavian heritage. American English speakers usually pronounce it like Jacob, while German and Scandinavian speakers use the Y sound.
How Popular is the Name Jakob?
Jakob recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2001. Its best rank was #172 in 2001.
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 | #1,372 | 135 | 0.0079% |
| 2024 | #1,122 | 190 | 0.0111% |
| 2023 | #1,134 | 186 | 0.0109% |
| 2022 | #990 | 227 | 0.0130% |
| 2021 | #845 | 281 | 0.0161% |
| 2020 | #883 | 256 | 0.0148% |
| 2019 | #759 | 312 | 0.0174% |
| 2018 | #702 | 344 | 0.0189% |
| 2017 | #640 | 404 | 0.0218% |
| 2016 | #581 | 476 | 0.0251% |
| 2015 | #525 | 548 | 0.0286% |
| 2014 | #458 | 645 | 0.0336% |
| 2013 | #415 | 711 | 0.0376% |
| 2012 | #395 | 742 | 0.0391% |
| 2011 | #334 | 910 | 0.0479% |
| 2010 | #298 | 1,097 | 0.0572% |
| 2009 | #324 | 989 | 0.0499% |
| 2008 | #308 | 1,083 | 0.0531% |
| 2007 | #303 | 1,108 | 0.0534% |
| 2006 | #293 | 1,158 | 0.0563% |
| 2005 | #275 | 1,215 | 0.0608% |
| 2004 | #235 | 1,416 | 0.0713% |
| 2003 | #218 | 1,607 | 0.0814% |
| 2002 | #203 | 1,836 | 0.0946% |
| 2001 | #172 | 2,192 | 0.1128% |
| 2000 | #173 | 2,161 | 0.1100% |
| 1999 | #200 | 1,693 | 0.0882% |
| 1998 | #191 | 1,784 | 0.0933% |
| 1997 | #220 | 1,387 | 0.0736% |
| 1996 | #382 | 611 | 0.0323% |
| 1995 | #407 | 561 | 0.0295% |
| 1994 | #431 | 530 | 0.0274% |
| 1993 | #449 | 487 | 0.0248% |
| 1992 | #482 | 436 | 0.0218% |
| 1991 | #522 | 368 | 0.0182% |
| 1990 | #578 | 306 | 0.0149% |
| 1989 | #635 | 249 | 0.0124% |
| 1988 | #699 | 179 | 0.0094% |
| 1987 | #751 | 148 | 0.0079% |
| 1986 | #752 | 146 | 0.0079% |
| 1985 | #1,002 | 83 | 0.0045% |
| 1984 | #971 | 84 | 0.0047% |
| 1983 | #938 | 89 | 0.0050% |
| 1982 | #1,029 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 1981 | #1,016 | 80 | 0.0045% |
| 1980 | #1,028 | 78 | 0.0044% |
| 1979 | #1,143 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 1978 | #1,359 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 1977 | #1,276 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 1976 | #1,850 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #1,573 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1974 | #1,764 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1973 | #3,106 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1972 | #2,278 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #3,044 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,466 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #3,899 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #2,858 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #4,209 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,801 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,311 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1962 | #3,821 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,336 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #3,776 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,712 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #3,390 | 7 | 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 Jakob 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.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Jakob's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jakob's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.