Jacob
Boy · JAY-kob · Hebrew
Classic
Jacob is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “heel-holder, supplanter”. In 2025 it ranked 39th for boys in the UK (1,417 babies) and 43rd for boys in the US (6,152 babies).
What does Jacob mean?
Hebrew
“heel-holder, supplanter”
In Genesis, Jacob is born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau.
- Say it
- JAY-kob
More on Wiktionary.
Is Jacob a girl's or a boy's name?
Jacob is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,417 boys in the UK and 6,152 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Jacob in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #39among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,417about 1 in 210 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 49% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 6.4%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,417 boys in the UK were named Jacob, making it the 39th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 19th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 5,654 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 13 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Jacob since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Jacob in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 41st in England and Wales, 45th in Scotland and 27th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#35), 2004 (#23), 2014 (#4) and 2024 (#30).
Jacob in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,417 | #39 |
| 2024 | 1,714 | #27 |
| 2023 | 1,840 | #25 |
| 2022 | 2,118 | #21 |
| 2021 | 2,587 | #18 |
| 2020 | 2,614 | #19 |
| 2019 | 3,413 | #11 |
| 2018 | 3,755 | #9 |
| 2017 | 4,406 | #6 |
| 2016 | 4,945 | #5 |
| 2015 | 5,262 | #5 |
| 2014 | 5,454 | #4 |
| 2013 | 5,535 | #5 |
| 2012 | 5,654 | #5 |
| 2011 | 5,361 | #8 |
| 2010 | 4,570 | #13 |
| 2009 | 3,400 | #20 |
| 2008 | 3,289 | #22 |
| 2007 | 3,301 | #25 |
| 2006 | 3,320 | #24 |
| 2005 | 3,189 | #25 |
| 2004 | 3,092 | #26 |
| 2003 | 3,025 | #29 |
| 2002 | 2,638 | #31 |
| 2001 | 2,678 | #32 |
| 2000 | 2,620 | #32 |
| 1999 | 2,843 | #30 |
| 1998 | 2,786 | #32 |
| 1997 | 2,659 | #37 |
| 1996 | 2,293 | #36 |
How popular is Jacob in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #43among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6,152about 1 in 280 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 38% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 4.9%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6,152 boys in the US were named Jacob, making it the 43rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 15th. Its busiest year was 1998, with 36,031 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 15 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Jacob than any year since 1977.
Half of all the boys named Jacob in the US since 1880 were born between 1991 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
Jacob in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,152 | #43 |
| 2024 | 6,541 | #40 |
| 2023 | 7,015 | #35 |
| 2022 | 7,667 | #32 |
| 2021 | 8,494 | #24 |
| 2020 | 9,309 | #15 |
| 2019 | 10,797 | #12 |
| 2018 | 11,897 | #13 |
| 2017 | 13,269 | #9 |
| 2016 | 14,559 | #7 |
| 2015 | 16,005 | #4 |
| 2014 | 16,923 | #4 |
| 2013 | 18,201 | #2 |
| 2012 | 19,110 | #1 |
| 2011 | 20,403 | #1 |
| 2010 | 22,157 | #1 |
| 2009 | 21,204 | #1 |
| 2008 | 22,621 | #1 |
| 2007 | 24,310 | #1 |
| 2006 | 24,871 | #1 |
| 2005 | 25,851 | #1 |
| 2004 | 27,911 | #1 |
| 2003 | 29,658 | #1 |
| 2002 | 30,586 | #1 |
| 2001 | 32,573 | #1 |
| 2000 | 34,492 | #1 |
| 1999 | 35,371 | #1 |
| 1998 | 36,031 | #2 |
| 1997 | 34,163 | #2 |
| 1996 | 31,925 | #3 |
| 1995 | 31,134 | #4 |
| 1994 | 29,417 | #7 |
| 1993 | 27,487 | #9 |
| 1992 | 25,665 | #15 |
| 1991 | 25,200 | #17 |
| 1990 | 22,022 | #20 |
| 1989 | 17,831 | #26 |
| 1988 | 15,883 | #28 |
| 1987 | 14,326 | #31 |
| 1986 | 13,652 | #31 |
| 1985 | 12,284 | #35 |
| 1984 | 11,358 | #37 |
| 1983 | 10,999 | #36 |
| 1982 | 10,059 | #41 |
| 1981 | 9,342 | #43 |
| 1980 | 8,520 | #43 |
| 1979 | 7,545 | #45 |
| 1978 | 6,161 | #50 |
| 1977 | 5,788 | #56 |
| 1976 | 4,509 | #63 |
| 1975 | 3,618 | #75 |
| 1974 | 2,957 | #88 |
| 1973 | 2,123 | #122 |
| 1972 | 1,683 | #155 |
| 1971 | 1,057 | #223 |
| 1970 | 910 | #255 |
| 1969 | 656 | #296 |
| 1968 | 553 | #324 |
| 1967 | 445 | #354 |
| 1966 | 454 | #351 |
| 1965 | 487 | #346 |
| 1964 | 522 | #344 |
| 1963 | 487 | #353 |
| 1962 | 474 | #369 |
| 1961 | 504 | #354 |
| 1960 | 493 | #351 |
| 1959 | 558 | #328 |
| 1958 | 506 | #341 |
| 1957 | 540 | #331 |
| 1956 | 538 | #322 |
| 1955 | 577 | #303 |
| 1954 | 563 | #306 |
| 1953 | 590 | #289 |
| 1952 | 561 | #298 |
| 1951 | 502 | #311 |
| 1950 | 465 | #318 |
| 1949 | 490 | #308 |
| 1948 | 550 | #289 |
| 1947 | 522 | #301 |
| 1946 | 457 | #304 |
| 1945 | 417 | #292 |
| 1944 | 437 | #283 |
| 1943 | 476 | #281 |
| 1942 | 524 | #252 |
| 1941 | 466 | #257 |
| 1940 | 514 | #234 |
| 1939 | 427 | #261 |
| 1938 | 488 | #240 |
| 1937 | 536 | #223 |
| 1936 | 500 | #229 |
| 1935 | 475 | #242 |
| 1934 | 547 | #219 |
| 1933 | 539 | #213 |
| 1932 | 558 | #218 |
| 1931 | 572 | #217 |
| 1930 | 622 | #212 |
| 1929 | 647 | #203 |
| 1928 | 718 | #196 |
| 1927 | 855 | #173 |
| 1926 | 810 | #177 |
| 1925 | 901 | #166 |
| 1924 | 970 | #163 |
| 1923 | 975 | #160 |
| 1922 | 1,027 | #148 |
| 1921 | 1,094 | #143 |
| 1920 | 1,050 | #143 |
| 1919 | 1,082 | #137 |
| 1918 | 1,198 | #133 |
| 1917 | 1,122 | #130 |
| 1916 | 1,132 | #123 |
| 1915 | 1,122 | #121 |
| 1914 | 997 | #113 |
| 1913 | 744 | #117 |
| 1912 | 691 | #110 |
| 1911 | 323 | #116 |
| 1910 | 273 | #117 |
| 1909 | 262 | #102 |
| 1908 | 235 | #107 |
| 1907 | 243 | #101 |
| 1906 | 187 | #114 |
| 1905 | 220 | #98 |
| 1904 | 243 | #89 |
| 1903 | 189 | #103 |
| 1902 | 207 | #95 |
| 1901 | 172 | #98 |
| 1900 | 233 | #101 |
| 1899 | 189 | #92 |
| 1898 | 256 | #81 |
| 1897 | 204 | #88 |
| 1896 | 241 | #82 |
| 1895 | 266 | #74 |
| 1894 | 292 | #68 |
| 1893 | 292 | #65 |
| 1892 | 283 | #73 |
| 1891 | 238 | #69 |
| 1890 | 290 | #66 |
| 1889 | 295 | #67 |
| 1888 | 353 | #57 |
| 1887 | 317 | #56 |
| 1886 | 346 | #54 |
| 1885 | 343 | #52 |
| 1884 | 381 | #50 |
| 1883 | 356 | #49 |
| 1882 | 390 | #46 |
| 1881 | 381 | #39 |
| 1880 | 404 | #39 |
Nicknames for Jacob
Names like Jacob
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Isaac Joshua Adam Ethan Caleb Noah Elijah Harrison Benjamin Max Lucas Mason
Other spellings of Jacob
Names related to Jacob
More Hebrew names
Isabella James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie Levi Eliana Joseph Michael