Jacob is a common masculine given name of Hebrew origin. The English form is derived from the Latin Iacobus, from the Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iakobos), ultimately from the Hebrew (Yaʿaqōḇ), the name of Jacob, biblical patriarch of the Israelites, and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions. 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. It can also be taken to mean "may God protect."
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 (Genesis 25:26).
The name is etymologized (in a direct speech by the character Esau) in Genesis 27:36, adding the
significance of Jacob having "supplanted" his elder brother by buying his birthright.
In a Christian context, Jacob – James in English form – is the name for several people in the New Testament: (1) the apostle James, son of Zebedee, (2) another apostle, James, son of Alphaeus, and (3) James the brother of Jesus (James the Just), who led the original Nazarene Community in Jerusalem. There are several Jacobs in the genealogy of Jesus.
From 1999 through 2012, Jacob was the most popular baby name for boys in the United States.
Afrikaans – Jakob, Jakobus, Jacobus
Albanian – Jakob, Jakov, Jakub, Jakup, Gjokë, Gjoka, Zhak
Arabic – Yaʿqūb, Yakub (يعقوب); see also Jacob in Islam
Aragonese – Chacobo, Chaime
Armenian – Յակոբ (Classical Armenian orthography), Հակոբ (Reformed Armenian orthography) (Hakob, Hagop)
Azerbaijani – Yaqub, Yaqubun, Ceykob
Basque – Jakobi, Jagoba
Belarusian – Якуб, Якаў (Jakub, Jakaŭ)
Bengali – জ্যাকব (Jyākob), ইয়াকুব (Iyakub)
Bosnian – Jakub (Jakup)
Breton – Jakob, Jakez
Bulgarian – Яков (Yakov)
Catalan – Jaume, Dídac
Cebuano – Hakob
Chichewa – Yakobo
Chinese – 雅各 (Yǎgè)
Cornish – Jago, Jammes, Jamma
Corsican – Ghjacumu
Croatian – Jakov, Jakob, Jakša
Czech – Jakub
Danish – Jakob, Jep, Jeppe, Ib
Dutch – Jaak, Jaap, Jakob, Jacobus, Jacco, Jaco, Sjaak, Kobus
English – Jakob, Jack, Jake, Jay, Jaycob; see also James
Esperanto – Jakobo
Estonian – Jaak, Jaagup, Jakob
Ethiopia – Yacob, Yacob, Yakob
Faroese – Jákup, Jakku
Fijian – Jekope, Kope
Finnish – Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jaakko
French – Jacques, Jack, Jacob, Jayme, Jaume, Jacqueline (fem.