Jacoy
A variant spelling of the Biblical name Jacob, meaning "supplanter".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Jacoy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jacoy today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jacoy births was 2006 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jacoy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jacoy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2006
7 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2006 SSA rank
#9,991
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Jacoy: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jacoy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jacoy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jacoy
The given name Jacoy originates from the Hebrew language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov, which means "supplanter" or "one who follows at the heel." The name Yaakov is found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is the name given to the patriarch Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jacoy can be found in the Book of Genesis, where Jacob is born holding onto the heel of his twin brother Esau. This biblical story is believed to have influenced the meaning and symbolism associated with the name, representing perseverance, determination, and a struggle for recognition.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jacoy or its variations. One of the most prominent was Jacoy van Heemskerck (1567-1607), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic and discovered parts of the Spitsbergen archipelago. He played a crucial role in the Dutch exploration and mapping of the northern regions.
Another historical figure with the name Jacoy was Jacoy Dutoit (1670-1732), a French Huguenot refugee who fled religious persecution and settled in South Africa. He became a prominent figure in the early Cape Colony and helped establish the wine industry in the region.
In the realm of literature, Jacoy Saunders (1812-1896) was an American poet and journalist who wrote extensively about the American Civil War and the abolitionist movement. His works, such as "The Lyre and the Cross," shed light on the struggles and social issues of the time.
The name Jacoy also found its way into the world of music through Jacoy Reyez (1855-1923), a Mexican composer and violinist who contributed significantly to the development of Mexican classical music. His compositions, including the "Danza Mexicana," showcased the rich cultural heritage of his country.
Another notable figure was Jacoy Aharonov (1901-1985), an Israeli physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. He is renowned for his work on the Aharonov-Bohm effect, which demonstrated the nonlocal nature of quantum mechanics and had a profound impact on scientific understanding.
While this name may not be as common today, its rich historical roots and the stories of those who bore it serve as a testament to the enduring legacy and significance of names across cultures and time periods.
People
Jacoy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jacoy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jacoy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jacoy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jacoy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Jacoy a common name?
We classify Jacoy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jacoy most popular?
The single biggest year for Jacoy was 2006, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jacoy is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jacoy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jacoy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jacoy in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jacoy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jacoy in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jacoy can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Jacoy as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.