Yaqub
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" or "he who follows".
Name Census estimates that about 598 living Americans carry the first name Yaqub. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yaqub today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yaqub births was 2019 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yaqub. 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
598
~ 1 in 573,168 Americans
Peak year
2019
51 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,988
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Yaqub: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yaqub from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 293 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Yaqub remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yaqub 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 Yaqub during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yaqubs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Minnesota, New York, California recorded the most babies named Yaqub, while Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yaqub
The name Yaqub has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which is the name of the Biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel.
In the Quran, the Islamic holy book, Yaqub is mentioned as a Prophet of God and the son of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). The name is deeply rooted in the Abrahamic faiths, particularly in Islam and Judaism, and holds significant religious and cultural significance.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Yaqub can be found in the Bible, where Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, is a central figure in the Book of Genesis. He is described as the father of the twelve tribes of Israel and a pivotal figure in the history of the Israelites.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yaqub. One of the most famous was Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi (801-873 CE), an Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age.
Another prominent figure was Yaqub ibn Laith al-Saffar (840-879 CE), the founder of the Saffarid dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan in the 9th century CE. He played a significant role in the history of the region and is remembered for his military campaigns and efforts to establish a strong centralized government.
In the realm of literature, Yaqub Sanu (1017-1092 CE), also known as Hakim Sanu'i, was a renowned Persian poet and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Sufi literature and mystical thought.
Moving forward in time, Yaqub Beg (1483-1490 CE) was a ruler of the Timurid Empire, which encompassed parts of modern-day Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan. He is remembered for his efforts to consolidate power and maintain stability within the empire during his brief reign.
Another notable figure is Yaqub Pasha (1834-1909 CE), an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1879. He played a crucial role in the modernization and reform efforts of the Ottoman Empire during the late 19th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Yaqub throughout history, demonstrating its rich cultural and historical significance across various regions and time periods.
People
Yaqub + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yaqub 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
Yaqub: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yaqub?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 598 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yaqub 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 573,168 US residents.
Is Yaqub a common name?
We classify Yaqub as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 603 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yaqub most popular?
The single biggest year for Yaqub was 2019, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yaqub is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yaqub a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yaqub 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.