Jacob
Hebrew Ya‘aqov, connected in Genesis to aqev “heel” and read as “heel-grabber” or “supplanter.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
The Genesis patriarch who fathered the twelve tribes; it dominated the boys' list for over a decade around 2000.
Jacob appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 76 different years between 1880 and 2025. It has been the single most popular name for American boys in 14 different years, first in 1999 and most recently in 2012. Its biggest year was 1998, when 36,031 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 2 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1999, at No. 1. In 2025 it ranked No. 43 for boys. All told, 990,532 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Jakob (31,959), Jakobe (4,883), Jaycob (4,519), Jakub (3,067), Jacobe (1,300), Jakeb (1,170) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: James, Asher, Genesis, Rachael, Jameson
Explore Jacob interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,566 | No. 39 |
| 1890s | 2,551 | No. 65 |
| 1900s | 2,191 | No. 89 |
| 1910s | 8,684 | No. 110 |
| 1920s | 9,047 | No. 143 |
| 1930s | 5,264 | No. 212 |
| 1940s | 4,853 | No. 234 |
| 1950s | 5,400 | No. 289 |
| 1960s | 5,075 | No. 296 |
| 1970s | 36,351 | No. 45 |
| 1980s | 124,254 | No. 26 |
| 1990s | 298,415 | No. 1 |
| 2000s | 274,077 | No. 1 |
| 2010s | 163,321 | No. 1 |
| 2020s | 45,178 | No. 15 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.