2000
#23,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,019
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Yacoub
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "Jacob".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,465 Americans carry the last name Yacoub. That puts it at #13,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yacoub surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yacoub with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,048
Census rank
#13,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,150 bearers of the surname Yacoub in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yacoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yacoub
The surname Yacoub finds its origins primarily in the Middle East, particularly among Arabic-speaking populations. It is derived from the Arabic name Yaqub, which in turn is a form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, commonly known in its Anglicized form as Jacob. The name Ya'aqov is historically significant and appears in religious texts such as the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, reflecting its deep-rooted significance in the Abrahamic tradition.
The earliest references to the surname Yacoub can be traced back to the Islamic Golden Age, around the 8th to 14th centuries. During this time, scholars, merchants, and religious figures often carried the name Yaqub, which eventually evolved phonetically and orthographically into Yacoub in certain dialects and regions.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname Yacoub appears in medieval Arabic manuscripts and historic records. These include writings from the Abbasid Caliphate, where the name Yaqub was quite prevalent among scholars and scientists. A significant figure from this period was Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, often referred to as the "Philosopher of the Arabs," who was born around 801 and died in 873. Although he is more commonly known by his first and middle names, al-Kindi's legacy carried through various iterations of the surname.
Another early figure is Yaqub ibn Tariq, a renowned mathematician and astronomer of the 8th century, who contributed to the advancement of mathematical and astronomical knowledge in the Islamic world. His works were influential in the development of medieval scientific thought.
The evolution of the name can also be seen in various historical documents and trade records throughout the Mediterranean and the Near East. For instance, the name appeared in merchant records from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, indicating the prominence of families with the surname Yacoub in trade and commerce.
In the realm of literature and the arts, Yaqub Sanu, also known as James Sanua or Yaqub Rufa'il Sanu (1839–1912), was an Egyptian Jewish playwright and journalist who played a significant role in the cultural and political life of Egypt during the 19th century. His works often dealt with the themes of social justice and reform, and he is remembered for his contributions to Egyptian theater and journalism.
In more recent history, Yacoub Meir, an influential rabbi and Torah scholar born in 1852 and passed away in 1939, served as a Chief Rabbi in various communities in the Middle East, including Hebron and Jerusalem. His teachings and religious leadership left a lasting impact on Jewish communities in the region.
The surname Yacoub has also been associated with various place names and geographic references. The region of Yacoubiyah in modern-day Syria, for example, reflects the historical and familial connections to the surname.
Throughout history, the surname Yacoub has been borne by figures who have significantly impacted religious scholarship, science, literature, and commerce in their respective societies. Its rich etymological and historical background underscores the deep cultural and historical connections spanning across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yacoub
Among Census respondents with the surname Yacoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Yacoub bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Yacoub surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 1,919
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 85
- Two or more races3.2% · 69
- Black or African American2.8% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yacoub
Yacoub appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#18,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,540
+521 bearers (+51.1%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Up 5,225 places
2020
#13,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,150
+610 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 4,571 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,315 | 1,019 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,090 | 1,540 | 0.52 | +521 bearers (+51.1%) | Up 5,225 places |
| 2020 | #13,519 | 2,150 | 0.72 | +610 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 4,571 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Yacoub surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,090 | #13,519 | 25.3% |
| Count | 1,540 | 2,150 | 39.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.72 | 38.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yacoub bearers went from 1,540 to 2,150 (+39.6% change). The surname moved up 4,571 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,090 to #13,519.
FAQ
Yacoub surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yacoub?
Name Census estimates that about 2,465 living Americans carry the surname Yacoub. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,048 residents.
How common is Yacoub?
Yacoub ranks #13,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,150 people with the surname Yacoub. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yacoub.
Has Yacoub become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yacoub went from 1,540 recorded bearers to 2,150. That is an increase of 610 (+39.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,090 to #13,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Yacoub?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yacoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yacoub in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (1,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yacoub appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Yacoub (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Yacoub mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "Jacob". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Yacoub (0.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Yacoub?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Yacoub on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.