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

Jakobs, 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 Jakobs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jakobs in America

Jakobs is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jakobs surname appeared 199 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jakobs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jakobs 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 Jakobs

The surname Jakobs is of German origin, and it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Biblical name Jacob, which came from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name gained popularity across Europe after the widespread adoption of Christianity.

The earliest recorded instances of the Jakobs surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, surnames were often based on personal names, occupations, or physical characteristics, and Jakobs was likely adopted as a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Jakob."

Variations of the spelling included Jacobs, Jacobsen, Jacobson, and Jacobsohn. These variations were common due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

One notable early reference to the name can be found in the Liber Censuum, a 13th-century manuscript documenting land ownership and taxation in the Holy Roman Empire, where several individuals with the surname Jakobs were listed as landowners or tenants.

In the 14th century, the Jakobs surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony. This record mentions a Johannes Jakobs, a merchant from Leipzig, who was involved in trade with neighboring regions.

During the Renaissance period, several individuals with the Jakobs surname gained recognition in various fields. One notable figure was Hans Jakobs (1480-1552), a German painter and woodcarver from Nuremberg, known for his intricate religious artwork.

Another prominent individual was Anna Jakobs (1548-1612), a German botanist and herbalist from Saxony. She was recognized for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and authored several books on the subject.

In the 17th century, the Jakobs surname appeared in the Pomeranian Nobility Book, a registry of noble families in the region. This suggests that some branches of the family had attained aristocratic status by this time.

One of the most famous individuals with the Jakobs surname was Johann Georg Jakobs (1720-1784), a German philosopher and theologian from Württemberg. He made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and moral philosophy, and his works were widely read across Europe.

During the 19th century, the Jakobs surname became more widespread across German-speaking regions, as well as in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jakobs

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!