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Name at a glance

Jacob

Jacob is a Hebrew name often connected with holder of the heel or supplanter.

Ranked #43 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #1 in 1999, declining over the past 5 years.

Jacob is a central Genesis patriarch whose story includes family conflict, wrestling, blessing, and a changed name that becomes Israel.

Browse namesRead Jacob's story
OriginHebrew
GenderBoy
FeelPatriarchal
PronunciationJAY-kub

Is Jacob biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Jacob is a named person in Scripture, the third patriarch, son of Isaac, later renamed Israel in Genesis.

Is Jacob a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Jacob is one of the most enduring biblical names in English Christian use, anchored in the patriarchal triad and the covenant-memory phrase 'God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'

Plain answer

Jacob is a biblical patriarch's name and a foundational, enduring Christian name across major traditions.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Jacob

Jacob is traditionally linked with the birth story in which he grasps Esau's heel. The name is often explained as holder of the heel or supplanter, though the biblical meaning grows through Jacob's whole story rather than the root alone.

Name story

A complicated patriarchal name

Jacob is one of the most human names in Genesis. His story includes ambition, deception, fear, love, exile, work, family struggle, and eventual transformation.

Because Jacob is later named Israel, the name carries the weight of change. It does not present a flawless hero; it remembers a person shaped by conflict and grace.

Biblical arc

From Jacob to Israel

The turning point of Jacob's story comes when he wrestles through the night and receives the name Israel. That moment gives Jacob's name a strong spiritual pattern: struggle can become blessing.

Jacob becomes the father of the twelve tribes, so the name stands at the root of Israel's family identity. For Christian readers, it belongs to the larger story that leads through promise toward redemption.

Sound

How to pronounce Jacob

Phonetic
JAY-kub
IPA
/ˈdʒeɪkəb/

2 syllables · stress: JAY-kub · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • James
  • Jakob
  • Yaakov
  • Jacques
  • Jaime
  • Giacomo
  • Iacopo

Short forms and nicknames

  • Jake
  • Jay
  • Coby

Languages

Jacob in other languages

Hebrew
יַעֲקֹבYaakov
Greek
ἸακώβIakōb
Latin
Iacobus
Spanish
Jacob
French
Jacob
German
Jakob
Italian
GiacobbeItalian distinguishes the biblical patriarch (Giacobbe) from the generic personal name (Giacomo), which has come to track the James branch.
Russian
ИаковIakov
Polish
Jakub
Arabic
يَعْقُوبYaqub

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Jacob appears throughout Christian Scripture as part of the patriarchal line. The name is important not only because of Genesis but because the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob becomes a recurring biblical phrase of covenant memory.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the brother of Esau, the husband of Leah and Rachel, and the father of the twelve sons associated with Israel's tribes.

Read the full story of Jacob in the Bible

Bearers

Notable people named Jacob

  • biblical

    JacobSon of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and patriarch later renamed Israel after wrestling with God at Peniel

  • historical

    Jacob GrimmGerman philologist and folklorist, co-author with his brother Wilhelm of Grimm's Fairy Tales, 1785 to 1863

  • historical

    Jacob RiisDanish-American journalist and social reformer, author of How the Other Half Lives, 1849 to 1914

  • historical

    Jacob BronowskiPolish-British mathematician, biologist, and presenter of the BBC series The Ascent of Man, 1908 to 1974

  • historical

    Jacob LawrenceAmerican painter of the Migration Series, 1917 to 2000

  • modern

    Jacob TremblayCanadian actor known for Room, born 2006

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Jacob has been one of the most enduring biblical names in English use. It feels familiar and friendly, while still carrying serious Old Testament depth. James is historically related, giving the name an unusually broad Christian naming family.

Recent US use

Jacob in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#43
Peak rank
#1 in 1999
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Pairings

Names paired with Jacob

  • Rachelwife (beloved)

    Jacob serves seven years for Rachel; she becomes the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

  • Leahwife (first)

    Jacob marries Leah first through Laban's deception in Genesis 29; Leah bears six of the twelve sons.

  • Josephson

    Jacob loves Joseph above his brothers and gives him the coat of many colors that prompts the brothers' jealousy.

For families

For families looking at Jacob

Jacob may suit families who want a biblical name that is familiar but not shallow. It carries themes of perseverance, transformation, blessing, and the mystery of God working through imperfect people.

Common questions

What does Jacob mean?

Jacob is often explained as holder of the heel or supplanter.

Is Jacob a biblical name?

Yes. Jacob is one of the major patriarchs in Genesis.

Is James related to Jacob?

Yes. James and Jacob are historically related forms that developed through different language paths.

Sources

Sources for Jacob

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology; meaning 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter'.
  • The Book of Genesis, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure; patriarch renamed Israel in Genesis.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

IsaacIsaac is Jacob's father; Jacob receives the covenant blessing through deception in Genesis 27, then later reconciles with his brother Esau.JosephJoseph is Jacob's favored son; the dreams and brotherly betrayal in Genesis 37 set off the narrative arc that closes the Genesis book.JamesJames is the English form of the same Hebrew name (Ya'aqov), via Greek Iakobos; Jacob and James are etymologically one name across two testaments.AbrahamJacob's grandfather; the line Abraham > Isaac > Jacob is the patriarchal triad that anchors the covenant in Genesis.