Jacob
/ˈdʒeɪ.kəb/noun
A male given name from the Hebrew Bible, borne by the patriarch who became the ancestor of the Israelites.
Did you know?The name is traditionally linked to the biblical story of Jacob being born holding his twin’s heel, and later Hebrew interpreters connected it with the idea of supplanting or outmaneuvering.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
Yaʿaqov
“A personal name traditionally associated with the heel-grabbing patriarch Jacob”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Iakōb
“Greek form of the Hebrew name, used in the Septuagint”
1st Century CE
Latin
Iacobus
“Latin biblical and ecclesiastical form of the name”
Old French
French
Jacques
“Common French form of the name”
Middle English
English
Jacob
“English biblical and personal name”