Explore the Family Name Jacob
The meaning of Jacob
Jewish, English, Welsh, German, Portuguese, French (mainly Alsace and Lorraine), Walloon, Breton, Dutch, Flemish, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian: derivative, via Latin Jacob(us), from the Hebrew personal name Ya‘aqob (Yaakov). In the Bible, this is the name of the crafty younger twin brother of Esau (Genesis 25:26), who took advantage of the latter’s hunger and impetuousness to persuade him to part with his birthright ‘for a mess of potage’. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Hebrew akev ‘heel’: Jacob is said to have been born holding on to Esau’s heel. In English usage the name Jacob is regarded as distinct from the name James, but they are of identical origin. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, for example Assyrian/Chaldean or Arabic Yaqub, Yakub, Yacoub, or Yacob, Slovenian Jakob and Jakop, Czech and Slovak Jakub, and also their patronymics and other derivatives (see examples at Jacobs and Jacobson). The name Jacob is also found among Christians in southern India (compare Chacko), but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jacob in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Jacob has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was the 1541st most common surname, but by 2010 it had risen to the 1444th spot, marking a change of 6.29%. The count of individuals with the surname also rose from 21,354 in 2000 to 24,688 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 15.61%. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people also increased during this decade from 7.92 to 8.37, showing a 5.68% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,541 | #1,444 | 6.29% |
| Count | 21,354 | 24,688 | 15.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.92 | 8.37 | 5.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jacob
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Jacob, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting developments between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders with this surname significantly increased by 43.78%, moving from 15.67% to 22.53%. Similarly, there was a 32.48% increase among Hispanics, with their representation rising from 3.11% to 4.12%. However, while the Black population saw a subtle increase of 2.09%, moving from 10.05% to 10.26%, the White population observed a decline of 11.25%, dropping from 67.58% to 59.98%. Individuals identifying as two or more races also declined by 15.69%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 5.83%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.58% | 59.98% | -11.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 15.67% | 22.53% | 43.78% |
| Black | 10.05% | 10.26% | 2.09% |
| Hispanic | 3.11% | 4.12% | 32.48% |
| Two or More Races | 2.55% | 2.15% | -15.69% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.03% | 0.97% | -5.83% |
Jacob ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Jacob is British & Irish, which comprises 24.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.0%) and Malayali Subgroup (14.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 24.7% |
| French & German | 21.0% |
| Malayali Subgroup | 14.5% |
| Other | 39.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Jacob
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Jacob have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 48.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 48.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 48.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 48.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 48.00% |
What Jacob haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Jacob is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Meyers, Frank, Schneider, Schmidt, Hoffman, David, Klein, Meyer, Simon, Kramer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jacob surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages
Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Jacob have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Jacob" Surname 43.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Jacob" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Jacob" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Jacob" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Jacob?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Jacob are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition