Yaqub last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Yaqub

A surname derived from the Arabic name Ya'qub, meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel".

Yaqub, 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 Yaqub surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yaqub in America

Yaqub is the 66371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yaqub surname appeared 298 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 Yaqub.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yaqub 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 66371 88825 -28.94%
Count 298 194 42.28%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.07 35.29%

The history of the last name Yaqub

The surname Yaqub originates from the Middle East, with its roots deeply embedded in Arabic culture. The name is derived from the Arabic form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, known in English as Jacob. As a surname, it has been traditionally associated with Arab-speaking regions, including countries like Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, dating back to the medieval Islamic period. The name Jacob itself goes further back to the ancient Semitic language traditions, referencing the biblical patriarch Jacob, whose story appears in religious texts such as the Torah and the Quran.

The name Yaqub has various historical references, appearing in several old manuscripts and records from the Islamic Golden Age. During the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE), many scholars, poets, and administrators bore the name Yaqub. An early reference can be traced to the historical work of Al-Kindi, a notable Arab philosopher and polymath of the 9th century, who documented various personalities named Yaqub in his biographical collections.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in historical texts is linked to Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, an influential Arab philosopher and scientist born around 801 CE and died in 873 CE. Al-Kindi's contributions to various fields of knowledge made the name Yaqub prominent within intellectual circles of the time.

Moving forward to the 10th century, Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Nadim, who lived between 936 and 995 CE, was a famous bibliographer and bookseller in Baghdad. He is remembered for his seminal work, Kitab al-Fihrist, an extensive catalog of all the books available in the Arabic-speaking world, showcasing the rich academic heritage associated with the name Yaqub.

In more recent historical records from the medieval period, Yaqub ibn Ayyub al-Mansuri, a governor under the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt during the 11th century, demonstrated the name's association with political leadership and governance. There is also the notable figure Yaqub ibn Killis, an important Fatimid vizier who was born in 930 CE and died in 991 CE. His administration and reforms were critical in the functioning of the Fatimid state in Egypt.

Another significant historical personality is Yaqub Mehmed Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and admiral who served during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His naval campaigns and governance solidified the Yaqub name's presence in the records of the expanding Ottoman Empire.

Throughout history, the surname Yaqub has been borne by influential figures in various fields such as philosophy, literature, governance, and military leadership. This rich historical tapestry reflects the enduring legacy and cultural significance of the name across different periods and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yaqub

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

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 Yaqub was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 22.48% 67
Non-Hispanic Black Only 11.41% 34
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 58.39% 174
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 7.05% 21
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Yaqub has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 22.48% 29.38% -26.61%
Black 11.41% 4.12% 93.88%
Asian and Pacific Islander 58.39% 48.45% 18.61%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 7.05% 17.01% -82.79%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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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!

"Yaqub last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on January 5, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/yaqub-surname-popularity/.

"Yaqub last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/yaqub-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 January, 2025

Yaqub last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/yaqub-surname-popularity/.

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