Yacob
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows".
Name Census estimates that about 200 living Americans carry the first name Yacob. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yacob today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yacob births was 2017 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yacob. 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.
People living today
200
~ 1 in 1,713,772 Americans
Peak year
2017
18 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,811
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Yacob: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yacob from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 106 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Yacob remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yacob 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 Yacob during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yacob
The name Yacob has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is a variant spelling of the biblical name Jacob, which is derived from the Hebrew word "ya'aqob," meaning "to follow" or "to supplant." This name carries deep religious and cultural significance in Judaism and Christianity.
The name Yacob appears prominently in the Book of Genesis, where Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites. He is also the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. The story of Jacob's life, including his struggle with the angel and his renaming to Israel, is a pivotal narrative in the Hebrew Bible.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Yacob can be found in the ancient Jewish text, the Talmud, which dates back to the 3rd century CE. The Talmud contains various references to individuals named Yacob, indicating the widespread use of this name among the Jewish community during that period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Yacob. One of the most famous was Yacob ben Asher (1269-1343), a prominent Hebrew grammarian and codifier of the Masoretic Text, which established the authoritative version of the Hebrew Bible.
Another notable Yacob was Yacob ben Yosef ibn Nun (1450-1508), a Spanish-born Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain before the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula.
In the realm of religion, Yacob Baradaeus (500-578) was an influential Syrian bishop and leader of the Miaphysite Christian movement, which emphasized the unity of Christ's divine and human natures. His efforts helped to spread and strengthen this branch of Christianity in the Middle East.
Yacob Sewallas (1592-1667) was an Ethiopian philosopher, poet, and scholar who played a significant role in the development of the Ge'ez literary tradition and the promotion of education in his country.
Finally, Yacob Ledesma (1900-1957) was a renowned Filipino composer and conductor who contributed greatly to the development of Filipino music and orchestral works, earning him the title of "Father of Filipino Contemporary Music."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Yacob, a name with deep roots in ancient cultures and religions, and a rich tapestry of historical significance.
People
Yacob + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yacob as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yacob: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yacob?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 200 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yacob 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 1,713,772 US residents.
Is Yacob a common name?
We classify Yacob as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yacob most popular?
The single biggest year for Yacob was 2017, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yacob is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yacob a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yacob 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.
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.