Fun Facts About the Name Yacob
- 202 babies named Yacob: U.S. records list 202 babies given the name Yacob from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yacob Mean?
Yacob is a variant of Jacob, a name of Hebrew origin. Its customary meaning is 'supplanter,' from the Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov). The Hebrew root עקב (ʿ-q-b) is connected with the heel (עָקֵב, ʿaqev) and with the verb עָקַב (ʿaqav), meaning 'to follow at the heel' or 'to supplant.' In the biblical narrative, Jacob was born holding the heel of his twin brother Esau and later supplanted Esau in birthright and blessing. That story gives the literal sense 'he grasps the heel' and the customary interpretation 'supplanter.'
Some modern scholars have proposed that Yaʿaqov might be a shortened theophoric name meaning 'may God protect,' based on a different root, but this is not the traditional explanation and remains uncertain. The spelling Yacob is a transliteration in which the initial yod is written as Y and the ayin is often not represented or is represented by an apostrophe. It is used for the same name in several traditions, especially the Amharic and Tigrinya form ያዕቆብ (Yaʿəqob). It is not an independent name with a separate meaning.
Yacob Name History & Origins
The Hebrew Bible uses the name Yaʿaqov for the patriarch Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, who is also called Israel. In the Greek Septuagint, the name appears as Ἰακώβ (Iakōb), and the New Testament Greek uses Ἰάκωβος (Iakōbos). Latin adopted it as Iacobus, which became Jacob in English. Other European forms include Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Jakob (German), and Yakov (Russian). Eastern Christian and Semitic traditions kept forms closer to the Hebrew: Syriac ܝܥܩܘܒ (Yaʿqub), Arabic يعقوب (Yaʿqūb), and Ge'ez ያዕቆብ (Yaʿəqob).
The spelling Yacob is a Latin-alphabet rendering of the Ge'ez, Amharic, and Tigrinya form, used as a given name in Ethiopia and Eritrea. In English-speaking countries, Yacob also appears as a variant spelling of Jacob, often in diaspora communities. The name's development is part of the long history of Jacob, while the spelling Yacob reflects later transliteration rather than a separate ancient origin.
How Popular is the Name Yacob?
Yacob 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 2017. Its best rank was #5,285 in 2017.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #9,811 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #8,880 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #14,234 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #13,991 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,960 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #6,748 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #6,687 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #5,285 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #9,618 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #8,012 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #7,030 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #12,062 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #8,835 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #10,742 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #8,108 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #14,429 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #14,531 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #8,886 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #8,696 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #11,301 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #12,703 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #10,626 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #9,210 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #10,203 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,161 | 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 Yacob Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Yacob's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yacob's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.