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

Jacobs, 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 Jacobs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jacobs in America

Jacobs is the 257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jacobs surname appeared 118,614 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 40 people would have the surname Jacobs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jacobs 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 Jacobs

The surname Jacobs is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical patriarch Jacob, whose name translates to "supplanter" or "one who follows". It is believed that this name was initially adopted by Jewish families as a patronymic, indicating descent from an ancestor named Jacob.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jacobs can be traced back to the 12th century in medieval England, where it was rendered as "Jacobus" or "Jacobi" in Latin documents. These early spellings reflect the name's Hebrew roots and its subsequent adoption by Jewish communities in various European countries.

As Jewish communities migrated and settled across Europe, the surname Jacobs evolved into different regional variations, such as Jakobs in Germany, Jacobs or Jacobs in the Netherlands, and Jacobson or Jacobsen in Scandinavia. These variations often incorporated local suffixes or patronymic endings.

One notable historical reference to the surname Jacobs can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1327, which lists a John Jacobi as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of 1195 mention a Richard Jacobi, indicating the early presence of the name in England during the medieval period.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jacobs are Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916), an Australian-born Jewish writer and folklorist known for his collections of English fairy tales and fables. Another notable figure is William Wymark Jacobs (1863-1943), an English author best remembered for his horror short story "The Monkey's Paw".

Other prominent individuals bearing the surname Jacobs include Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), an influential American-Canadian writer and urban theorist who championed community-based approaches to city planning. Alastair Jacobs (1925-2018) was a British architect and designer known for his innovative work in public housing and urban renewal projects.

In the world of sports, Brandon Jacobs (born 1982) is a former American football running back who played for the New York Giants and won two Super Bowl championships. Lastly, Sir Michael Jacobs (1936-2014) was a British businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman of the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Opera House.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jacobs

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

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 Jacobs 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 Jacobs 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 Jacobs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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