Fun Facts About the Name Yaqub
- 642 babies named Yaqub: U.S. records list 642 babies given the name Yaqub from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yaqub Mean?
Yaqub is the Arabic form of Jacob, a name meaning "supplanter" or "heel-holder" that comes from Hebrew. The Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (יַעֲקֹב) is traditionally connected with ʿaqev ("heel") and the verb ʿaqav ("to follow," "to supplant"). In the biblical story, Jacob is born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau, and the customary meaning "supplanter" reflects that account. The Arabic form Yaʿqūb (يَعْقُوب) carries the same name and meaning, but it is not formed from an independent Arabic root; it is an adaptation of the Hebrew name into Arabic. The literal root sense is tied to the heel or to following closely, while "supplanter" is the usual interpretive translation rather than a strict dictionary gloss.
Yaqub Name History & Origins
The Arabic name Yaʿqūb corresponds to the Jacob of the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an. In the Hebrew Bible, Yaʿaqov is the patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca and father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Greek-speaking Jews used Iakōb, which passed into Latin as Iacobus and later produced forms such as Jacob and James in European languages. Arabic developed its own form, Yaʿqūb, which appears in the Qur'an for the prophet Yaqub, the father of Yusuf (Joseph). Islamic tradition identifies Yaqub with the biblical Jacob and honors him as one of the prophets. The Arabic name spread with the Arabic language and Islam into Persian-, Turkish-, and South Asian Muslim communities, where spellings such as Yaqub, Yaqoob, and Turkish Yakup are used. English uses Yaqub as one transliteration of the Arabic name, especially in Muslim communities and in writing about the Qur'anic prophet.
How Popular is the Name Yaqub?
Yaqub 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 2019. Its best rank was #2,579 in 2019.
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 | #3,124 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2024 | #2,988 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #3,051 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #2,824 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2021 | #3,493 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #3,729 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #2,579 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 2018 | #3,050 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2017 | #3,119 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2016 | #3,982 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #3,587 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2014 | #4,530 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #5,391 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #3,710 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #5,194 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #4,673 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,319 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #4,388 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #9,762 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #7,408 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #5,569 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #6,956 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #7,803 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #7,622 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #7,514 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #10,318 | 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 Yaqub 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.
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.
✦ Yaqub's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yaqub's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.