Find out how popular the last name Jacob is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jacob.

Jacob, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jacob surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jacob in America

Jacob is the 1444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jacob surname appeared 24,688 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Jacob.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jacob to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jacob

The surname Jacob is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which means "supplanter" or "one who follows upon the heel of another". It is believed to have originated in ancient Israel, dating back to biblical times.

Jacob is a popular surname among Jewish communities worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America. It is also found in various spellings, such as Jacobs, Jacobson, and Jacobsohn, among others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jacob can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, including Jacob and Jacobus.

In the Middle Ages, the name Jacob was commonly associated with Jewish communities in Europe. Notable individuals with this surname include Jacob ben Meir, also known as Rabbenu Tam (c. 1100-1171), a influential French rabbi and scholar. Another prominent figure was Jacob ben Samson (c. 1230-1292), a Spanish rabbi and philosopher.

During the Renaissance, Jacob da Gaeta (c. 1450-1517), an Italian humanist and physician, made significant contributions to the field of medicine. In the 17th century, Jacob Bobart (1599-1680), a German botanist and the first curator of the Oxford Botanic Garden, was renowned for his work in horticulture.

In the 18th century, Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), a German philologist and one of the Brothers Grimm, gained fame for his collection of folktales and his contributions to the study of linguistics. Another notable figure was Jacob Henle (1809-1885), a German physician and anatomist, who made significant discoveries in the field of microscopic anatomy.

In the 19th century, Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897), a Swiss historian and cultural theorist, was highly influential in the study of Renaissance art and culture. Jacob Riis (1849-1914), a Danish-American social reformer and photographer, is renowned for his work in documenting the living conditions of the poor in New York City.

These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Jacob throughout history, spanning various fields and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jacob

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jacob.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jacob was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jacob has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jacob was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jacob, please contact us.

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