At a glance
- In short
- Jacob is a Hebrew name meaning supplanter or he who grasps the heel.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #43 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 6,152 (0.34% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #15 in 2020 to #43 in 2025
- Peak
- #1 in 1999–2012
- Top state
- #9 in New York
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Jacob
The name Jacob comes from the Hebrew Ya'aqov, which is usually explained as "supplanter" or "he who grasps the heel," a reference to the biblical story in which Jacob is born holding his twin brother Esau's heel. The name is pronounced JAY-kub in both American and British English. Its most famous bearer is the biblical patriarch Jacob, grandson of Abraham and father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
In literature and folklore, Jacob is inseparable from Jacob Grimm, the elder of the Brothers Grimm, who collected and published the fairy tales that carry the family name. Among more recent notable figures is the American painter Jacob Lawrence, whose vivid depictions of African American history and Harlem life brought him wide recognition.
Jacob has long been an American favorite. It ranked 39th in 1880, drifted slowly down through the twentieth century, and then climbed sharply: it entered the top ten in 1993, reached number one in 1999, and held that spot through 2012. It has since declined, ranking 43rd in 2025 with 6,152 babies given the name.
How to pronounce Jacob
English
- Pronounced JAY-kub /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
Popularity of Jacob in the U.S.
Jacob was the #43 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 6,152 babies. It peaked at #1 in 1999–2012 and has been in the top 100 since 1974.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,152 | 43 | ▼ 3 |
| 2024 | 6,541 | 40 | ▼ 5 |
| 2023 | 7,015 | 35 | ▼ 3 |
| 2022 | 7,667 | 32 | ▼ 8 |
| 2021 | 8,494 | 24 | ▼ 9 |
| 2020 | 9,309 | 15 | ▼ 3 |
| 2019 | 10,797 | 12 | ▲ 1 |
| 2018 | 11,897 | 13 | ▼ 4 |
| 2017 | 13,269 | 9 | ▼ 2 |
| 2016 | 14,559 | 7 | ▼ 3 |
| 2015 | 16,005 | 4 | – |
| 2014 | 16,923 | 4 | ▼ 2 |
| 2013 | 18,201 | 2 | ▼ 1 |
| 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 | ▲ 1 |
| 1998 | 36,031 | 2 | – |
| 1997 | 34,163 | 2 | ▲ 1 |
| 1996 | 31,925 | 3 | ▲ 1 |
| 1995 | 31,134 | 4 | ▲ 3 |
| 1994 | 29,417 | 7 | ▲ 2 |
| 1993 | 27,487 | 9 | ▲ 6 |
| 1992 | 25,665 | 15 | ▲ 2 |
| 1991 | 25,200 | 17 | ▲ 3 |
| 1990 | 22,022 | 20 | ▲ 6 |
| 1989 | 17,831 | 26 | ▲ 2 |
| 1988 | 15,883 | 28 | ▲ 3 |
| 1987 | 14,326 | 31 | – |
| 1986 | 13,652 | 31 | ▲ 4 |
| 1985 | 12,284 | 35 | ▲ 2 |
| 1984 | 11,358 | 37 | ▼ 1 |
| 1983 | 10,999 | 36 | ▲ 5 |
| 1982 | 10,059 | 41 | ▲ 2 |
| 1981 | 9,342 | 43 | – |
| 1980 | 8,520 | 43 | ▲ 2 |
| 1979 | 7,545 | 45 | ▲ 5 |
| 1978 | 6,161 | 50 | ▲ 6 |
| 1977 | 5,788 | 56 | ▲ 7 |
| 1976 | 4,509 | 63 | ▲ 12 |
| 1975 | 3,618 | 75 | ▲ 13 |
| 1974 | 2,957 | 88 | ▲ 34 |
| 1973 | 2,123 | 122 | ▲ 33 |
| 1972 | 1,683 | 155 | ▲ 68 |
| 1971 | 1,057 | 223 | ▲ 32 |
| 1970 | 910 | 255 | ▲ 41 |
| 1969 | 656 | 296 | ▲ 28 |
| 1968 | 553 | 324 | ▲ 30 |
| 1967 | 445 | 354 | ▼ 3 |
| 1966 | 454 | 351 | ▼ 5 |
| 1965 | 487 | 346 | ▼ 2 |
| 1964 | 522 | 344 | ▲ 9 |
| 1963 | 487 | 353 | ▲ 16 |
| 1962 | 474 | 369 | ▼ 15 |
| 1961 | 504 | 354 | ▼ 3 |
| 1960 | 493 | 351 | ▼ 23 |
| 1959 | 558 | 328 | ▲ 13 |
| 1958 | 506 | 341 | ▼ 10 |
| 1957 | 540 | 331 | ▼ 9 |
| 1956 | 538 | 322 | ▼ 19 |
| 1955 | 577 | 303 | ▲ 3 |
| 1954 | 563 | 306 | ▼ 17 |
| 1953 | 590 | 289 | ▲ 9 |
| 1952 | 561 | 298 | ▲ 13 |
| 1951 | 502 | 311 | ▲ 7 |
| 1950 | 465 | 318 | ▼ 10 |
| 1949 | 490 | 308 | ▼ 19 |
| 1948 | 550 | 289 | ▲ 12 |
| 1947 | 522 | 301 | ▲ 3 |
| 1946 | 457 | 304 | ▼ 12 |
| 1945 | 417 | 292 | ▼ 9 |
| 1944 | 437 | 283 | ▼ 2 |
| 1943 | 476 | 281 | ▼ 29 |
| 1942 | 524 | 252 | ▲ 5 |
| 1941 | 466 | 257 | ▼ 23 |
| 1940 | 514 | 234 | ▲ 27 |
| 1939 | 427 | 261 | ▼ 21 |
| 1938 | 488 | 240 | ▼ 17 |
| 1937 | 536 | 223 | ▲ 6 |
| 1936 | 500 | 229 | ▲ 13 |
| 1935 | 475 | 242 | ▼ 23 |
| 1934 | 547 | 219 | ▼ 6 |
| 1933 | 539 | 213 | ▲ 5 |
| 1932 | 558 | 218 | ▼ 1 |
| 1931 | 572 | 217 | ▼ 5 |
| 1930 | 622 | 212 | ▼ 9 |
| 1929 | 647 | 203 | ▼ 7 |
| 1928 | 718 | 196 | ▼ 23 |
| 1927 | 855 | 173 | ▲ 4 |
| 1926 | 810 | 177 | ▼ 11 |
| 1925 | 901 | 166 | ▼ 3 |
| 1924 | 970 | 163 | ▼ 3 |
| 1923 | 975 | 160 | ▼ 12 |
| 1922 | 1,027 | 148 | ▼ 5 |
| 1921 | 1,094 | 143 | – |
| 1920 | 1,050 | 143 | ▼ 6 |
| 1919 | 1,082 | 137 | ▼ 4 |
| 1918 | 1,198 | 133 | ▼ 3 |
| 1917 | 1,122 | 130 | ▼ 7 |
| 1916 | 1,132 | 123 | ▼ 2 |
| 1915 | 1,122 | 121 | ▼ 8 |
| 1914 | 997 | 113 | ▲ 4 |
| 1913 | 744 | 117 | ▼ 7 |
| 1912 | 691 | 110 | ▲ 6 |
| 1911 | 323 | 116 | ▲ 1 |
| 1910 | 273 | 117 | ▼ 15 |
| 1909 | 262 | 102 | ▲ 5 |
| 1908 | 235 | 107 | ▼ 6 |
| 1907 | 243 | 101 | ▲ 13 |
| 1906 | 187 | 114 | ▼ 16 |
| 1905 | 220 | 98 | ▼ 9 |
| 1904 | 243 | 89 | ▲ 14 |
| 1903 | 189 | 103 | ▼ 8 |
| 1902 | 207 | 95 | ▲ 3 |
| 1901 | 172 | 98 | ▲ 3 |
| 1900 | 233 | 101 | ▼ 9 |
| 1899 | 189 | 92 | ▼ 11 |
| 1898 | 256 | 81 | ▲ 7 |
| 1897 | 204 | 88 | ▼ 6 |
| 1896 | 241 | 82 | ▼ 8 |
| 1895 | 266 | 74 | ▼ 6 |
| 1894 | 292 | 68 | ▼ 3 |
| 1893 | 292 | 65 | ▲ 8 |
| 1892 | 283 | 73 | ▼ 4 |
| 1891 | 238 | 69 | ▼ 3 |
| 1890 | 290 | 66 | ▲ 1 |
| 1889 | 295 | 67 | ▼ 10 |
| 1888 | 353 | 57 | ▼ 1 |
| 1887 | 317 | 56 | ▼ 2 |
| 1886 | 346 | 54 | ▼ 2 |
| 1885 | 343 | 52 | ▼ 2 |
| 1884 | 381 | 50 | ▼ 1 |
| 1883 | 356 | 49 | ▼ 3 |
| 1882 | 390 | 46 | ▼ 7 |
| 1881 | 381 | 39 | – |
| 1880 | 404 | 39 | – |
Jacob by state
Jacob ranks #9 in New York (2025).
Rank by state 50 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 9 | 631 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 274 |
| Wyoming | 16 | 14 |
| Rhode Island | 22 | 25 |
| District of Columbia | 22 | 23 |
| Alaska | 27 | 18 |
| Florida | 29 | 472 |
| Maryland | 29 | 122 |
| Delaware | 29 | 22 |
| Connecticut | 31 | 82 |
| Texas | 36 | 734 |
| Massachusetts | 38 | 141 |
| Nevada | 38 | 57 |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 253 |
| Virginia | 40 | 162 |
| California | 41 | 744 |
| Washington | 45 | 130 |
| South Carolina | 52 | 81 |
| Idaho | 52 | 35 |
| Missouri | 55 | 103 |
| Alabama | 56 | 75 |
| Ohio | 59 | 175 |
| Illinois | 59 | 172 |
| North Carolina | 60 | 182 |
| Tennessee | 60 | 127 |
| Indiana | 60 | 111 |
| Hawaii | 63 | 13 |
| Michigan | 64 | 135 |
| Oklahoma | 65 | 60 |
| Georgia | 67 | 154 |
| Utah | 67 | 66 |
| Arizona | 73 | 102 |
| Louisiana | 73 | 60 |
| Minnesota | 75 | 75 |
| Kentucky | 77 | 64 |
| Nebraska | 78 | 31 |
| Vermont | 80 | 6 |
| Colorado | 82 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | 83 | 70 |
| Mississippi | 86 | 31 |
| North Dakota | 93 | 12 |
| West Virginia | 94 | 20 |
| South Dakota | 94 | 13 |
| Arkansas | 99 | 33 |
| New Mexico | 99 | 19 |
| New Hampshire | 99 | 15 |
| Kansas | 101 | 36 |
| Maine | 101 | 13 |
| Oregon | 106 | 36 |
| Iowa | 113 | 34 |
| Montana | 149 | 9 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 24 | 49 |
Notable people named Jacob
- Jacob Armstead Lawrence was an American painter whose dynamic cubism vividly portrayed African American history and Harlem life, and he later taught for 16 years at the University of Washington.
- Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, the elder of the Brothers Grimm, was a German scholar who formulated Grimms law and coauthored the Deutsches Worterbuch, wrote Deutsche Mythologie, and edited Grimms Fairy Tales.
- Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay rose to fame with Room in 2015, winning the Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and becoming the youngest Screen Actors Guild supporting actor nominee.
- Jacob T. Schwartz — Jack Schwartz was an American mathematician and computer scientist at the NYU Courant Institute who designed the SETL language, started the Ultracomputer project, and founded and chaired the NYU Department of Computer Science from 1964 to 1980.