Explore the Family Name Jacobson
The meaning of Jacobson
1. English, Swedish, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic from the personal name Jacob denoting ‘Jacob’s son’. In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognates from other languages, including Scandinavian (see 2 below) and, in some cases, Croatian Jakobović (which is from the personal name Jakob). 2. Americanized form of Swedish Jacobsson or Jakobsson and Danish, Norwegian, North German, or Dutch Jacobsen or Jakobsen, all cognates of 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jacobson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Jacobson has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Jacobson held the rank of 695 among all surnames in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped to a rank of 767, indicating a decrease in popularity of approximately 10.36 percent. The actual count of individuals with this surname remained nearly steady, though, dropping by just 0.15 percent from 44,874 people in 2000 to 44,808 in 2010. The proportion of people named Jacobson per 100,000 also decreased during this period, from 16.63 to 15.19, marking an 8.66 percent reduction.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #695 | #767 | -10.36% |
| Count | 44,874 | 44,808 | -0.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 16.63 | 15.19 | -8.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jacobson
Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Jacobson, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals identifying as Jacobson were White (96.05 percent in 2000 and 94.66 percent in 2010), there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander. The percentage of Jacobsons identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.47 percent in 2000 to 2.18 percent in 2010, increasing by 48.30 percent. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.53 percent in 2000 to 0.76 percent in 2010, marking a 43.40 percent rise. Other groups, including individuals identifying with two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, also saw increases, although these were comparatively smaller.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.05% | 94.66% | -1.45% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 2.18% | 48.3% |
| Two or More Races | 1.09% | 1.47% | 34.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.76% | 43.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.53% | 10.42% |
| Black | 0.38% | 0.4% | 5.26% |
Jacobson 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 Jacobson is British & Irish, which comprises 28.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Scandinavian (18.8%) and French & German (18.4%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Finnish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 28.3% |
| Scandinavian | 18.8% |
| French & German | 18.4% |
| Other | 34.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Jacobson
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 Jacobson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 65.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 65.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 65.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 64.80% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 64.60% |
What Jacobson 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 Jacobson is R-M417, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M417 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-L205.1 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Berg, Peterson, Nelson, Anderson, Olsen, Olson, Hansen, Larson, Jensen, Hanson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jacobson surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Jacobson 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.
"Jacobson" Surname 45.7%
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.
"Jacobson" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Jacobson" Surname 19.7%
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.
"Jacobson" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Jacobson?
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 Jacobson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition