Jacob (name)


Jacob is a common male given name and a less well-known surname. It is a cognate of James.
Jacob is derived from Late Latin Iacobus, from Greek Ἰάκωβος Iakobos, from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, the name of the Hebrew patriarch, Jacob son of Isaac and Rebecca. The name comes either from the Hebrew root עקב ʿqb meaning "to follow, to be behind" but also "to supplant, circumvent, assail, overreach", or from the word for "heel", עֲקֵב ʿaqeb.
In the narrative of Genesis, it refers to the circumstances of Jacob's birth when he held on to the heel of his older twin brother Esau.
The name is etymologized in Genesis 27:36, adding the
significance of Jacob having "supplanted" his elder brother by buying his birthright.
In a Christian context, Jacob – James as reduced English form – is the name for several people in the New Testament: apostle James, son of Zebedee, another apostle James, son of Alphaeus, and James the brother of Jesus, who led the original Nazarene Community in Jerusalem. There are several Jacobs in the genealogy of Jesus.

Modern usage

From 1999 through 2012, Jacob was the most popular baby name for boys in the United States. Since Jacob is also venerated as a prophet of Islam, his name is commonly used as a male first name in Arab and Muslim societies.

Variants