Fun Facts About the Name Yakov
- More than 3 thousand babies named Yakov: U.S. records list 3,344 babies given the name Yakov from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yakov Mean?
Yakov is the Russian and Bulgarian form of the biblical name Jacob. It comes from Hebrew Yaʿaqov, a name built on the noun ʿaqev, meaning "heel," and connected to the verb ʿaqav, "to supplant" or "to follow at the heel." The customary English rendering of the meaning is "supplanter" or "he grasps the heel."
The Book of Genesis offers this as a folk explanation rather than a strict dictionary definition: Jacob is born gripping the heel of his twin Esau, and the narrative later ties the name to the idea of supplanting a brother. The precise original sense of the Hebrew name is debated among scholars, since the same root can suggest protecting, following behind, or replacing.
Yakov Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name passed into Greek as Iakōb in the Septuagint and as Iakōbos in the New Testament, and from Greek into Latin as Iacobus. Through Greek and Church Slavonic Iakovъ, the name entered the Slavic languages. Russian added a y sound before the opening vowel of Iakov, giving the form Yakov; this prothetic glide is a regular Slavic development, not a change in the name's meaning.
In Russian usage, Yakov is the everyday form of the name, while the fuller Church Slavonic Iakov is reserved for the biblical patriarch and for saints. Russian tradition applies the name both to the Old Testament Jacob and to the apostle James, who is called Iakov in Church Slavonic texts. The common short form of Yakov in Russian is Yasha, and the patronymic Yakovlevich and the surname Yakovlev derive from it.
Related western forms such as English Jacob and James, French Jacques, Spanish Diego and Santiago, and Italian Giacomo share the same Hebrew source but developed independently in their own languages.
How Popular is the Name Yakov?
Yakov 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 2024. Its best rank was #1,225 in 2024.
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 | #1,286 | 153 | 0.0090% |
| 2024 | #1,225 | 164 | 0.0096% |
| 2023 | #1,477 | 122 | 0.0071% |
| 2022 | #1,344 | 140 | 0.0080% |
| 2021 | #1,512 | 118 | 0.0067% |
| 2020 | #1,434 | 121 | 0.0070% |
| 2019 | #1,506 | 114 | 0.0064% |
| 2018 | #1,363 | 130 | 0.0072% |
| 2017 | #1,498 | 113 | 0.0061% |
| 2016 | #1,512 | 113 | 0.0060% |
| 2015 | #1,474 | 114 | 0.0059% |
| 2014 | #1,700 | 90 | 0.0047% |
| 2013 | #1,556 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2012 | #1,544 | 104 | 0.0055% |
| 2011 | #1,503 | 108 | 0.0057% |
| 2010 | #1,758 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 2009 | #1,470 | 114 | 0.0057% |
| 2008 | #1,690 | 91 | 0.0045% |
| 2007 | #1,680 | 91 | 0.0044% |
| 2006 | #1,875 | 73 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #1,789 | 74 | 0.0037% |
| 2004 | #1,933 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 2003 | #1,935 | 61 | 0.0031% |
| 2002 | #2,153 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2001 | #1,934 | 57 | 0.0029% |
| 2000 | #2,195 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 1999 | #2,345 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1998 | #1,848 | 54 | 0.0028% |
| 1997 | #2,022 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1996 | #2,045 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,296 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1994 | #1,974 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 1993 | #2,345 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1992 | #1,882 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1991 | #2,050 | 37 | 0.0018% |
| 1990 | #2,950 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #2,613 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1988 | #2,596 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1987 | #2,332 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,287 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1985 | #2,292 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1984 | #2,612 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #3,405 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #3,101 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #2,679 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1980 | #2,727 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #3,349 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #3,069 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #3,198 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1976 | #4,005 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #6,318 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #3,117 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #3,219 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1972 | #3,617 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #3,516 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #3,930 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,044 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,593 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #4,564 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #3,271 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #4,339 | 5 | 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 Yakov 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 an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Yakov's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yakov's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.