Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Jakob

Say it JAY-kub 2 syllables

Hebrew · “possibly holding the heel”

Loved in Austria, Norway, Slovenia, and 1 more place. Common across five German cities. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 10 more places.

1 in 64 boys born in Austria in 2025. Number 5 there.

Jakob in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 4, common in 5, rare in 15.
Jakob in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales1,124 (down)2025261 in 10,4598212020
Scotland762 (down)202531 in 6,5474262020
Northern IrelandRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
IrelandRare: below the complete list20255562020
North America
Ontario (province)1,354 (down)20247about 1 in 8,5544362019
Quebec (province)284 (down)202517about 1 in 1,7091502020
British Columbia (province)256 (down)202313about 1 in 1,0012402018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Victoria (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France3,125 (up)202551 in 60,5383,1962020
Netherlands738 (down)202517about 1 in 3,9145312020
Central Europe
Austria5 (down)20255951 in 6412020
Switzerland2022025411 in 8782022020
Berlin (city)22 (down)202391about 1 in 170162018
Munich (city)16 (down)202554about 1 in 8162020
Cologne (city)19 (down)202338about 1 in 168112018
Bonn (city)12 (down)202526about 1 in 12272020
Leipzig (city)39 (down)202512about 1 in 240132020
Rostock (city)7 (up)202511about 1 in 95112020
Nordic countries
Norway9 (up)20252971 in 78102020
Sweden132 (down)202572about 1 in 5991282020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Italy312 (new in the list)2024411 in 4,618Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland490 (down)202541 in 31,6013402020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia4 (up)2025161about 1 in 4552020
EstoniaNot in the published top 27202532020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Jakob is a form of Jacob inherited from Old Norse Jakob, from Latin Iacobus, from the Hebrew Yaʿăqōḇ. The meaning is disputed: the Old Testament links it with 'holding the heel', while another reading is 'may God protect'. The meaning is given here as possibly 'holding the heel'.

2 more paragraphs

It has two syllables, JAY-kub. Related names include Jacob, Jakub, Jacopo, Jaume and Jeppe.

Jakob is popular in Slovenia, Austria and Norway. In English-speaking countries it is rare. Canadian records put its peak around 2000, and it is now falling in most of the places that record it and rising in none.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
JAY-kub · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“possibly holding the heel” (hedged in the source)
Origin
Hebrew
Related names
Jacob, Jeppe, Jack, Jim, Jacopo, Santiago, Jakub, Jaume, Giacomo, James, Seamus, Jaime, Diego, Jakov, Jimmi, Jimmy, Ib, Sjaak, Jaagup, Jaak, Jaakob, Jaakobus, Kaupo, Jockel, Jakobus, Iacobus
Where Jakob comes from (Wiktionary)

Inherited from Old Norse Jakob, from Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ). The meaning is disputed: the Old Testament associates the name with “holding the heel”, while another interpretation is “may God protect”. The name is first attested in the 12th century in Norway.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Jakob. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Jakob over time

Rising in 0 of the 15 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 8. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 2000.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Jakob in England and Wales: #341 in 1996, a peak of #287 in 2000, and #1,124 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300#1,000#3,000200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #341, 70 boys1997: #315, 77 boys1998: #345, 68 boys1999: #375, 60 boys2000: #287, 94 boys2001: #347, 71 boys2002: #298, 92 boys2003: #320, 87 boys2004: #384, 74 boys2005: #388, 78 boys2006: #404, 83 boys2007: #458, 74 boys2008: #465, 76 boys2009: #494, 71 boys2010: #433, 87 boys2011: #449, 84 boys2012: #419, 95 boys2013: #388, 105 boys2014: #463, 85 boys2015: #445, 91 boys2016: #482, 84 boys2017: #606, 60 boys2018: #486, 82 boys2019: #674, 51 boys2020: #821, 37 boys2021: #729, 47 boys2022: #746, 44 boys2023: #1,139, 25 boys2024: #1,402, 19 boys2025: #1,124, 26 boys#341 in 1996peak #287, 2000#1,124in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
199634170
199731577
199834568
199937560
200028794
200134771
200229892
200332087
200438474
200538878
200640483
200745874
200846576
200949471
201043387
201144984
201241995
2013388105
201446385
201544591
201648284
201760660
201848682
201967451
202082137
202172947
202274644
20231,13925
20241,40219
20251,12426

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Jakob in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2004. Peak: 2000, about 228 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 0 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 0 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 0 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 0 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 0 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 0 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 0 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 0 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 0 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 0 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 1.6 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 0 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 6.7 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 28.2 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 121 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 195.5 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 142.5 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 103 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 66 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 38.7 per 100,000 boys20202000-2004: about 1 in 512 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19290
1930–19340
1935–19390
1940–19440
1945–19490
1950–19540
1955–19590
1960–19640
1965–19690
1970–19740
1975–19791.6
1980–19840
1985–19896.7
1990–199428.2
1995–1999121
2000–2004195.5
2005–2009142.5
2010–2014103
2015–201966
2020–202438.7

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Jakob

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Jakob, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 79, Italy

  2. 1 in 230, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 64, Austria

  4. 1 in 91, Norway

  5. 1 in 66, Poland

  6. 1 in 83, Austria

  7. 1 in 252, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 29, Italy

  9. 1 in 47, Poland

  10. 1 in 69, Poland

All 40 brother names for Jakob

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Jakob's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 130, Scotland

  4. 1 in 62, Poland

  5. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 137, Scotland

  7. 1 in 409, Ireland

  8. 1 in 622, England and Wales

Full-name check

Jakob Oliver

Syllables 2-3Initials J.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Jakob

Sisters for Jakob: Sara, Hana, Hanna, and 5 more
  1. SaraRose and fell with Jakob · Same generation as Jakob
  2. HanaRose and fell with Jakob · As common as Jakob
  3. HannaRose and fell with Jakob · As common as Jakob
  4. ElianaRose and fell with Jakob · Hebrew, like Jakob
  5. GabrielaRose and fell with Jakob · Hebrew, like Jakob
  6. AnnikaRose and fell with Jakob · Same generation as Jakob
  7. MajaRose and fell with Jakob · Same generation as Jakob
  8. KlaraRose and fell with Jakob · Same generation as Jakob

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Jakob

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Jakob's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 8 more places.

  2. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  3. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 12 more places.

  4. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 16 more places.

  5. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 18 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 8 more places.

  7. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 9 more places.

  8. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 14 more places.

Famous people named Jakob

Jakob Böhme, Jakob Wassermann, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Jakob

How popular is Jakob in British Columbia?

Jakob ranked #256 in British Columbia in 2023, given to 13 boys, about 1 in 1,001.

Is Jakob rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 0 of the 15 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 8.

What does Jakob mean?

Jakob means “possibly holding the heel”, according to Wiktionary. The dictionary itself marks this meaning as uncertain.

How many syllables does Jakob have?

Jakob has 2 syllables: JAY-kub.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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