The given name Jacob has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which in turn comes from the Hebrew verb "aqav," meaning "to follow" or "to be behind." The name is believed to have been first used around the 2nd millennium BCE.

Jacob is a prominent name in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. It is the name of one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites, Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca. The Book of Genesis recounts the story of Jacob, who was later renamed Israel, and his struggles with his twin brother Esau. Jacob's name is mentioned numerous times throughout the biblical text.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Jacob can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca, is born around 1900 BCE. Several notable historical figures have borne the name Jacob, including Jacob ben Asher (1269-1343), a prominent Jewish codifier of Jewish law, and Jacob ben Judah Leon (1602-1675), a Jewish author and Talmudic scholar.

In the New Testament, the name Jacob is mentioned several times, including as the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. This apostle, also known as James the Less or James the Younger, is believed to have lived in the 1st century CE.

Throughout history, several other notable figures have borne the name Jacob. These include Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), a German philologist and one of the Brothers Grimm, known for their collection of fairy tales; Jacob Riis (1849-1914), a Danish-American social reformer and photographer; and Jacob Zuma (born 1942), a former President of South Africa.

Other famous individuals named Jacob include Jacob Epstein (1880-1959), an American-British sculptor; Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897), a Swiss historian of art and culture; and Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/29-1682), a Dutch Golden Age painter.